BJP ticket unlikely for 5 sitting MPs

Yeddyurappa only MLA in the list of probable candidates

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is the lone sitting MLA to figure in the BJP’s list of probable candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, while 13 of the 18 sitting MPs are likely to get tickets to recontest. 

The top State unit leaders who have finalised the candidates for most of the constituencies, left for New Delhi with the list to get approval from the central leadership.When contacted by Deccan Herald, Yeddyurappa said, “People in Shikaripura on Tuesday pressured me to contest and I agreed.  On February 10 and 11, I will again interact with the people of my constituency. In addition, tomorrow (Thursday), I will be talking to Rajnath Singh in Delhi. Finally, the decision has to be taken by the election committee.”

On the candidature of his son B Y Raghavendra, the sitting MP from Shimoga, Yeddyurappa said, “No. It doesn’t matter whether I or my son contest.” 

To another query whether he would confine himself to campaigning in Shimoga in case he is the candidate, Yeddyurappa said he would campaign across the State to ensure the party wins not less than 10 to 15 seats. 

Yeddyurappa’s supporter and sitting MP G S Basavaraju is unlikely to get the ticket to recontest from Tumkur, where the party may field former MSIL chairperson M D Nandeesh.The former chief minister had been vociferous in demanding the ticket to Basavaraju.

  However, vehement protests by the BJP workers in Tumkur and their “Basavaraj Hatao, BJP Bachao” campaign left him with no chance. Basavaraju’s repeated tirades against the BJP even while being in the party also worked against him.

The three other sitting MPs who are unlikely to be given the tickets are Shivaramagouda (Koppal), J Shantha (Bellary) and Sanna Fakirappa (Raichur). 

Former MLA Karadi Sanganna has been shortlisted to contest from Koppal and former minister Shivanagouda Naik from Raichur. 

Merger with BSR Cong

The Bellary seat has been kept open for B Sriramulu if he merges his BSR Congress with the BJP.  

If the merger does not take place, then former MLA M S Somalingappa is likely to be the choice.

B’lore North LS seat

The fight for the Bangalore North constituency has now been confined to former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda vs Malleswaram MLA C N Ashwathnarayana, with former deputy chief minister R Ashoka strongly backing the MLA. 

The final decision has to be taken by the Delhi leaders, which will probably be delayed. 

The BJP has also decided not to field too many sitting MLAs for the Lok Sabha polls apprehensive of its strength getting reduced in the Assembly. Two sitting MLAs C T Ravi and Aravind Limbavali, who are among the aspirants, are unlikely to get the tickets. The party is still scouting for candidates in Hassan and Mandya, where it has no political base. 

Probables

Following is the list of probables in other constituencies: P C Gaddigoudar (Bagalkot); Bangalore Central (P C Mohan); Bangalore Rural (P Muniraju); Bangalore South (H N Ananth Kumar); Belgaum (Suresh Angadi); Bidar (Suryakanth Nagamarapalli); Bijapur (Ramesh Jigajinagi); Chamarajanagar (A R Krishnamurthy); Chikkaballapur (B N Bache Gowda / Vivek Reddy); Chikkodi (Ramesh Katti); Chitradurga (Janardhana Swamy); Dakshina Kannada (Nalin Kumar Kateel); Davangere (G M Siddesh); Dharwad (Pralhad Joshi); Gulbarga (Revu Naik Belamagi); Haveri (Shivakumar Udasi); Kolar (Narayanaswamy/ Vijaykumar/ D S Veeraiah);  Mysore (C H Vijayashankar/ Shobha Karandlaje); Udupi-Chikmagalur (Lalaji R Mendon); Uttara Kannada (Ananth Kumar Hegde).