BJP divided over Pratap Simha's candidature

 The BJP on Thursday decided to defer the announcement of candidates for two seats-Bidar and Hassan–after strong differences cropped up on the proposed names.

The party will hold another round of talks with local leaders on selecting the Bidar candidate as former minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli suggested his son Suryakanth’s name. However, the party favoured Gurupadappa as it feels that he would be fit to take on sitting Congress MP and former chief minister Dharam Singh.

In Hassan, with the proposed candidate C H Vijay Shankar refusing to contest, the party is working on whether to convince him or field some other leader.

The party will announce former minister B Sriramulu’s candidature from Bellary after he formally quits the BSR party and joins the BJP on Friday.

In the central election committee meeting, there were strong differences among leaders on fielding journalist Pratap Simha from Mysore. Though the RSS suggested his name for Udupi-Chikmagalur seat, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa strongly pitched for Shobha Karandlaje and reportedly suggested to offer Simha a seat elsewhere.

Saying that the proposal to field Simha has already created problems within the Mysore unit with senior leader C H Vijay Shankar refusing to campaign, some leaders suggested fielding Simha from Hassan as the party has no suitable leader there. Besides, contesting from Mysore would not be easy for Simha, as the party also faces leadership issues there after former minister A Ramdass got embroiled in an alleged love affair, some leaders said in the meeting.

The RSS felt it would be difficult for Simha to take on JD(S) heavyweight H D Deve Gowda, but some state leaders said since Hassan was Simha’s home district, it would end up becoming a triangular fight among Vokkaliga leaders, as the Congress has also fielded a Vokkaliga in A Manju.