He is none other than former IPS officer and Lok Sabha member from Bangalore North H T Sangliana. He openly expressed his apprehension over selection of party candidates and kept himself away from the campaigning. He raised objections for not fielding even a single candidate belong to the minority community in the State.

On Thursday being the last day of the campaign for the first phase of polls, BJP leaders including Bangalore South MP Ananth Kumar went around the City along with other party leaders and small screen artiste Smrithi Irani.

The leaders covered areas of Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency. Whereas Sangliana did not figure in the campaign.

In New Delhi

According to his close associates, he stayed away from State election in New Delhi all these days.

Assembly constituencies Shantinagar, C V Raman Nagar, Shivajinagar, Yelahanka, Pulakeshinagar, Sarvagnanagar, Hebbal and parts of K R Puram and Byatarayanapura come under the limits of Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency.

So far, the MP did not campaign in support of any of the candidates. R Shankar, BJP candidate contesting from Sarvagna Nagar, said “I tried to contact him. He was not available. I decided to go ahead with the support of other leaders of the party. I hope at least now people realise that they should vote only those who can be accessed easily.”

However party state president D V Sadananda Gowda denies reports that Sangliana had kept himself out of the election campaign. “He has attended many meetings with party workers in the constituency. He is very much with the party. However I don’t know why he did not join other leaders in the road shows”, he said.

Asked on ignoring party workers belonging to minority communities in issuing tickets, he said because of unavoidable reasons the party could not field candidates of minority communities.

H T Sangliana and office-bearers of the minority cell of the party have been convinced about the issue.