Karnataka polls: BJP overcomes dissent over ticket denial in coast, but Puttur a problem segment

Two prominent persons who revolted against the party have already come back to the party fold

With only nine days left for Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP is fighting hard to retain its hold in the coastal region, termed as the ‘cradle of Hindutva politics’, by winning in as many seats, having sailed past the initial dissent from those who were denied tickets to contest.

Two prominent persons who revolted against the party as soon as they were denied the opportunity to contest, K Raghupati Bhat in Udupi and Minister S Angara in Sullia (Dakshina Kannada), have already come back to the party fold, throwing their weight behind the official candidates.

Bhat, who believed that he would certainly be renominated -- and broke into tears when the bad news came -- later began to work for the official candidate Yashpal Suvarna in Udupi, who he described as ‘my boy.’

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He said top leaders had called him and said he would have a definite role in the party in the future.

The candidate, Yashpal Survarna, said, “The voters have decided to bring the union government led by Narendra Modi and the 'double-engine government' of Karnataka back to power. I am confident of winning by a huge margin in Udupi with the blessings of voters and the hard work of our party workers." Suvarna, who gained prominence in the party by resorting to cow vigilantism and instigating the fight against hijab, is making house-to-house visits in the constituency along with MLA Raghupati Bhat and other party leaders and workers.

Fisheries Minister and six-time MLA from Sullia, S Angara, who too was not given a chance to contest, had immediately declared that he was quitting politics and would not campaign in the elections.

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However, the next day he took back his statement and said he would work for the party candidate.

He thanked his party for giving him "so many opportunities". He had won from the constituency six times and was expecting a seventh term.

Though Bhat is seen with Suvarna in election campaigns in Udupi, Angara is not active on the field as he had undergone a surgery recently.

Others who were thrown out of the party list were B M Sukumar Shetty (Byndoor) who was replaced by hardcore activist Gururaj Gantihole, Lalaji R Mendon (Kaup/Kapu), who was replaced by Gurme Suresh Shetty and Sanjeeva Mattandoor (Puttur) who gave way to Asha Thimmappa Gowda, former Dakshina Kannada zilla parishad president.

In Kundapur, the incumbent MLA Halady Srivinas Shetty’s nominee Kiran Kumar Kodgi has been fielded, leaving no room for any protest from party activists.

As the campaign reaches its final leg, BJP is not feeling the pinch of the initial dissent over selection of candidates.

The Union government’s "achievements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi" and "development under a double-engine government" are their ‘mantras’ in the campaign. Not a single national leader nor local candidate fails to mention Modi and 'development' in all their speeches.

The dissent has been blown over and all are unitedly campaigning for the party, BJP Udupi district president Kuyiladi Suresh Naik said. In DK’s Sullia SC constituency, the BJP is not concerned about the initial rumblings as Angara himself has rallied behind the official candidate.

The party also has the advantage of the new candidate being a woman.

Bhagirathi Murulya is the official candidate of BJP in the segment and the ground-level campaign is strong in Sullia, party sources said. Sukumar Shetty (Byndoor), Sanjeeva Mattandoor (Puttur) and Lalaji R Mendon (Kaup) did not voice any protest after the party announced new candidates and are working for the official candidates, sources said.

The major concern for BJP in the twin districts in the region is the presence of Hindutva activist and an aspirant of the party ticket Arun Kumar Puthila in the Puttur constituency.

Though Sanjeeva Mattandoor, who was denied a ticket, did not come out in protest, Puthila was disappointed at not being fielded, and the party decision did not go down well with his followers and a strong section of the party cadres.

They alleged that the BJP decided on the new candidate Asha Thimmappa Gowda only to fulfil the Gowda caste equation while removing Mattandoor.

For the BJP, Puthila’s candidature as an independent is a strong challenge as the Congress has fielded Ashok Kumar Rai, who resigned from the BJP and joined the opposition party just before the announcement of elections.

The BJP had failed to get the advantage of an intense campaign against SDPI’s controversial candidate Shafi Bellare, who is an accused in the murder of the saffron party’s youth leader Praveen Nettaru.

The case is more forcefully being taken up by Puthila’s followers in the prestigious seat, also a solid base of the Sangh Parivar. “The revolt of Arun Puthila in Puttur will not harm BJP. Asha Thimmappa, the BJP candidate, will win there,” said party MP Tejaswi Surya during a recent visit to the coastal region.

Party district president Sudarshan Moodbidri also echoes his view. He said the accused in the murder of Praveen Nettaru was contesting for SDPI from prison. Hence, this had become a question of existence for Hindus.

However, Congress leaders are confident of wresting the seat from BJP, while Puthila’s followers express the hope that their candidate would win.

The recent stormy campaign by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Udupi and Mangaluru has enthused party workers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are also scheduled to visit the coastal districts in the coming days, party sources said.

The BJP had won 12 out of the 13 seats in the twin districts of DK and Udupi in the 2018 elections, except for the Mangaluru seat won by Congress candidate U T Khader.

A victory in any of the other segments in the twin districts will be a boon for the Congress, while the BJP has many things to lose.

The ruling party is moving cautiously and is banking on a grassroots-level campaign, supported by the Sangh Parivar.