2nd list of Karnataka BJP nominees from in 2 days: Vijayendra

Bengaluru: State BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday said that the party was likely to release a second list of candidates from Karnataka for the Lok Sabha elections in the next two days. 

Ahead of his visit to Delhi to take part in a party meeting, Vijayendra said that the BJP had released its first list of candidates for 20 nominees from the state. Candidates for the remaining seats would be announced after finalising seat-sharing with JD(S). “Our party high command will finalise names and not us,” he said in response to a question.

In a related development, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar reportedly left for Delhi to secure a BJP ticket from the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, despite a section of his own party leaders launching ‘Go Back Shettar’ campaign in the Belgaum segment, which is represented by Mangala Angadi, widow of former union minister Suresh Angadi. 

A delegation of BJP leaders comprising former MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath, Rajya Sabha member Iranna Kadadi, Belgaum Dakshin MLA Abhay Patil, former MLAs Sanjay Patil and Anil Benake met BJP Karnataka election incharge Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and lobbied hard for fielding a ‘local’ candidate, instead of bringing someone from outside. 

“We are not against Shettar per se, but it is our legitimate right to demand for local representation from the seat, as this will help the party cultivate new leadership in the state. We tried in vain to meet our (state) president (Vijayendra) and his father, party veteran Yediyurappa. So we met Dr Agarwal and conveyed our concerns to him,” a senior leader told DH.

PM holds meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with state leaders late in the night to finalise the party tickets for remaining Lok Sabha seats  on Tuesday.

In the meeting, the leaders also deliberated about unhappiness expressed by alliance partner the JD(S). The meeting also discussed rebellion by BJP leaders, including K S Eshwarappa.