JOIN US The ruling BJP is facing myriad problems across the State and, the situation in Bellary better explains how the party has completely lost its hold over the district which once ensured the very survival of its government through ‘Operation Lotus.’
When the BJP is trying its best to somehow regain its hold over Bellary district, all its cadre has shifted loyalty to other parties during the urban local bodies (ULB) elections. To make matters worse, the district in-charge minister Anand Singh is on a padayatra to Tirupati, keeping away from the poll campaign.
He is scheduled to return to his constituency, Vijayanagar, only on March 7, the day of polling.
Sources said that Singh has remained ‘neutral’ in the civic elections and, also he may not be contesting from the BJP in the Assembly elections. There are also speculations that he is eyeing for the Congress ticket.
Of the nine BJP MLAs from Bellary district, seven are with the party only technically. Legislators G Somashekar Reddy, brother of jailed mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, and H T Suresh Babu have identified themselves with the BSR Congress of B Sriramulu. B Nagendra, MLA from Kudligi and one-time associate of Janardhana Reddy, is showing his loyalty neither to the BJP nor to Sriramulu. He has fielded his own candidates as Independents for the 19 wards in Kudligi.
While MLAs B Chandra Naik and M S Somalingappa are campaigning for the party nominees, another MLA K Nemiraj Naik has remained neutral. Former minister G Karunakara Reddy, BJP legislator from Harapanahalli in Davangere district has been canvassing for the party candidates for the past one week.
When Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar was in Bellary on the last day of campaigning on Monday, not a single BJP legislator accompanied him during the campaign.
The BJP, it is said, is going soft on the Reddy brothers as they had assured the leaders that they would bail out the government if there was a crisis.
Agriculture Marketing minister S K Bellubbi had met Janardhana Reddy in the jail ahead of the crucial legislature session held in February. It was said that the meeting was held at the behest of a BJP leader from Delhi.
Bagalkot scenario
In Bagalkot district, Industries minister Murgesh Nirani is learnt to have campaigned for the KJP candidates. Despite being a minister, he did not hesitate to go to welcome Yeddyurappa when he arrived in Jamakhandi on Sunday.
It is said that Nirani will contest the the Assembly elections as KJP nominee from Jamakhandi. He is presently MLA from Bilagi. As Bilagi is a strong hold of the BJP, Nirani is not keen on contesting from there and wants to shift to Jamakhandi.
Sources in the BJP said that a lot of confusion could have been avoided if the party had not delayed the appointment of a new state president who could have taken up the responsibility of campaigning across the State.
There are differences among the seniors as to who should head the state unit. While Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is rooting for MP Pralhad Joshi, D V Sadananda Gowda is keen on getting back the post. An influential RSS leader from the coastal region is lobbying for Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.