Nirani's brother seeks BJP ticket

When minister Murugesh Nirani is all set to desert the Bharatiya Janata Party, his younger brother walked into the BJP office on Saturday requesting for a ticket to contest from the Bilagi Assembly constituency.

Hanumantha Nirani, an advocate and BJP member of the Bagalkot zilla panchayat, took many senior leaders in the party office in Bangalore by surprise when he walked in along with his supporters seeking a ticket.

‘Yeddyurappa my leader’

Murugesh Nirani, who represents Bilagi in the Assembly, is keen on contesting from Jamakhandi on a Karnataka Janata Party ticket this time. He considers Yeddyurappa as his leader.

Sometime earlier, Hanumantha Nirani had requested the BJP to field him from Jamakhandi, the neighbouring taluk of Bilagi. But the party has so far been firm on fielding sitting MLA Srikanth Kulkarni.

Sources said it could be a last-ditch effort by the brothers to get the Jamakhandi seat for Murugesh Nirani.

Development projects

“My brother has implemented a number of development projects in Bilagi in the last five years. As he has sought a shift in the constituency, I would like to take his work forward,” Hanumantha Nirani told reporters.

Party sources did admit that efforts were on to convince Kulkarni to vacate his seat for Murugesh Nirani.

Kulkarni is said to have been promised an MLC seat. But the party remained mum on its decision to entertain the request by Hanumantha Nirani.