BJP list delayed as PM objects giving tickets to children of MLAs, MPs

Yediyurappa's departure midway through the meeting on Sunday triggered speculation he was unhappy with Modi's tough stand

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his disapproval of giving tickets to children of sitting MLAs and MPs in the coming assembly polls in Karnataka, the first list of the BJP is expected to delay for one or two days as the state leaders again hold deliberation to pick new faces for some of the seats.

In the BJP Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday, the PM was learnt to have suggested that he was not in favour of giving seats to children of sitting MLAs or MPs instead he would prefer to give party workers.

Former Chief Minister and Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa left the CEC meeting midway on Sunday triggering speculation that he was upset with the PM's tough stand. There was speculation in Delhi that if the BJP took a hard stand on the denial of tickets to children of leaders, then tickets for B Y Vijayendra would be doubtful.

Read | BJP’s first list of 170-180 candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections by April 12: Bommai

Even when senior leaders including BJP National President J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, held a meeting with state leaders on Monday morning to discuss candidates selection and poll strategy, Yediyurappa did not attend it. However, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, State unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol were present in the meeting.

In the afternoon, Yediyurappa held an exclusive meeting with Nadda briefly and hurriedly left for Bengaluru. Nadda continued his meeting with state leaders till late in the night.

Sources said that Yediyurappa, while insisting on giving a ticket to his son from Shikakripura, also demanded seats for 15 of his followers. However, in the meeting, the decision of giving tickets to Vijayendra was left to the PM, and leaders shot down Yediyurappa's proposal of giving tickets to his followers.

In the meeting, the PM was learnt to have said that giving tickets to children of politicians means the party’s anti-dynasty policy has no value.

With the prospect of several senior leaders' children getting party tickets was bleak. Yediyurappa, who announced retirement from electoral politics had earlier announced that Vijayendra would contest from the Shikaripura segment in the coming assembly polls.

Several senior leaders' children including B Y Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Arun Somanna son of Housing Minister Somanna, Gopal Karjol son ofWater Resources Minister Govind Karjol, Anit Kumar son of Davangere Lok Sabha member G M Siddeshwara, K E Kantesh son of former Minister lobbied for the tickets was upset for the central leadership, said the leader.

These politicians have said that if the party breaks its earlier “one family one ticket norm,” their children should be accommodated in the list.

Though the Central Election Committee had an approved list of 175 candidates on Sunday, the central leaders held a day-long meeting with state leaders to finalise the remaining 49 seats. Since the party's top leaders suggested the state leaders field fresh faces without the baggage of corruption charges, the leaders deliberated till late in the night to finalise the names.

"For some constituencies, the leaders have yet to decide candidates. For those constituencies, we have held a detailed meeting. The first list will be released in a day or two," the CM told the media here.

Dismissing the rumours that he was upset for not allowing his followers in the polls, Yediyurappa said, “ I am not upset. I am always the happiest person. My aim is to bring the party to power in the state.”