BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa has announced that the party would conduct a survey to choose candidates for the next Assembly elections.

The proposed survey is to collect public opinion. Only those who have the capacity to win would be fielded, he added.

He said this at an event where former minister Kumar Bangarappa and a host of other Congressmen from Sorab in Shivamogga joined the BJP.

Yeddyurappa said party tickets would not be decided in Bengaluru or Delhi.
Referring to the prevailing drought situation, the BJP leader said that his party would not allow the functioning of the forthcoming legislature session unless the government writes off loans raised by farmers from cooperative institutions.

“The Siddaramaiah government is grabbing everything. The government should at least do something to farmers. The government has not been proactive despite severe drought across the state. Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa who used to be highly vocal before, is now silent,” he said. He also said he would expose the BBMP scam well ahead of the commencement of the legislature session.

Speaking on the occasion, Kumar Bangarappa said his father had joined the Congress in 2004. “My fathers’ followers should now be joining the BJP. Almost all the Congress heads of various wings in Sorab have quit the party to join the BJP. With this, the Congress has become bankrupt. We have joined the BJP appreciating the administration skills of Narendra Modi. The decision was taken after two years of deliberations,” he added.

Kumar also said the Congress is losing its base in the state while the BJP is secure. There is no respect for young or old in the Congress, he added.

Former minister Hartal Halappa, who had once contested against Kumar, said he is ready to work with Kumar in Sorab.

Former Bhatkal MLA J D Naik, Shivamogga Block President Prof Narayanappa and Hunsur Manjunath among others joined the BJP.