Bengaluru: BJP on tenterhooks in poll-bound Karnataka

Bengaluru : The banner of revolt by disappointed ticket aspirants in a number of constituencies seems to be keeping the BJP leadership on tenterhooks, as it resorts to douse the fire with less than a month to go before the Assembly polls.

The decision of former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi to quit the BJP after the party decided not to field them in the May 10 elections, has given a jolt to the party. Party leaders in private acknowledged that the disgruntlement after announcement of candidates is certainly a cause for worry.

The BJP has so far announced candidates in 212 constituencies out of the total 224 in two lists. According to party sources, there seems to be revolt in about two dozen Assembly segments. Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said no force can stop the party from coming back power with a clear majority. The national party has pressed its leaders into action for damage control.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan (poll in-charge), Pralhad Joshi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Yediyurappa, state president Nalin Kumar Kateel are engaged in trouble-shooting exercises. Also, some RSS leaders are said to have been roped in to pacify the dissidents. Bommai and Yediyurappa have said that they are talking to all the disgruntled leaders personally to ensure that they don't leave the party, and the central leadership is personally in touch with some seniors who are upset. Pradhan was even sent to Belagavi where the party has fielded seven new faces, and has replaced at least two sitting legislators.

The BJP in the first two lists has dropped at least 17 sitting MLAs and has fielded 67 new candidates. While deciding tickets, the party has adopted the policy of trying to replace some seniors and those nearing "retirement" (75 years), fielding new faces in segments where it has not won, and asking leaders to withdraw from the fray if they want tickets for their children, a party functionary said. According to reports, the leadership, during the Central Election Committee meeting had expressed reservations regarding the State BJP's recommendation list, which re-nominated most of the sitting legislators, and it contained the names of both father and children. After the CEC meeting, Bommai himself had given an indication in this regard by stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave some directions and the party is working on various inputs to finalise the list. He, however, did not elaborate on the nature of directions or inputs.

He, however, did not elaborate on the nature of directions or inputs. Several rounds of deliberations were held in Delhi before announcing the first list. Among the legislators who have resigned from the post and the primary membership of the party include - MLAs M P Kumaraswamy (Mudigere), Goolihatti Shekhar (Hosadurga), and MLCs Laxman Savadi (Athani) and R Shankar (Ranebennur). Savadi quit BJP and joined Congress on Friday. On Saturday, the grand old party gave him a ticket from Athani in Belagavi district. Haveri MLA Nehru Olekar and former MLA from Tumakuru city Sogadu Shivanna too have announced that they will resign from the primary membership of the party. Several other leaders or legislators who have not got the ticket have openly expressed their angst and have said that they will decide on their next move in a couple of days, once they consult their supporters and voters in the constituency. Of the 12 seats for which tickets are yet to be announced, seven are currently held by BJP MLAs. They include Shivamogga and Hubli-Dharwad Central, the seats represented by senior party leaders K S Eshwarappa and Shettar, respectively.