Three-time MLC Marithibbe Gowda of the JD(S) will be taking on Congress’ M. Lakshmana and BJP’s Niranjana Murthy in the elections to the Legislative Council from South Teachers’ Constituency on June 8.
While Mr. Gowda, who has successively won the last three elections from the constituency in 2000, 2006 and 2012, is aiming for his fourth straight win, Mr. Lakshmana is fighting hard to win his “last election” after losing Chamaraja Assembly elections in 2008, South Graduates’ constituency in 2010, and against Mr. Gowda from South Teachers’ constituency in 2012. Mr. Murthy is making his electoral debut.
During an interaction with presspersons, organised by Mysuru District Journalists’ Association (MDJA) here on Monday, all three candidates spoke about their respective agendas.
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Mr. Gowda was against the deployment of teachers for sundry non-teaching work including hot meals scheme, election-related work, survey and data collection work on several days in an academic year, arguing that it affected their expertise as teachers.
He also criticised the New Pension Scheme, contract employment of teachers, the absence of service and salary security to teachers in unaided institutions, and promised to take up these issues after his re-election.
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He also recalled the ‘huge’ contribution to the field of education by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy during his earlier 20-month regime when about 50,000 teachers were appointed to schools and colleges, besides opening several new colleges including engineering and medical colleges in various districts of the State.
Wage disparity
Mr. Lakshmana pointed out that he had already visited more than 2,000 educational institutions that fall within the limits of the constituency, met more than 19,000 voters personally and discussed their problems. Having associated himself with teachers, he claimed to have addressed issues relating to wage disparity among the teachers by impressing upon the government to release an additional increment to benefit 1.37 lakh teachers of high schools and pre-university, which cost the exchequer ₹130 crore.
He claimed to have worked towards including in the sixth pay commission, the provision of ‘time-bound increment without promotion’ for teachers serving without promotion for several years.
Mr. Lakshmana said this was his last election and sought the support of the voters. “If you are not satisfied with my performance in six months, I will resign as an MLC,” he said.
Guest faculty
Mr. Murthy said there were a lot of guest faculty in various educational institutions, who are receiving their due. Claiming they had been subjected to injustice, he promised to take up cudgels on their behalf if elected.
The South Teachers’ constituency is spread across 26 taluks of four districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan comprising an estimated 21,000 voters including teachers from high schools to the PG level.