IPL tickets row: Vijayendra, Tejasvi Surya disagree with Ashoka, slam ‘VIP culture’

Bengaluru: A day after Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka and other MLAs sought IPL match tickets, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and Bangalore South MP L S Tejasvi Surya took a different view and called out the “VIP culture.” 

Ashoka, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar and BJP MLA Abhay Patil had sought tickets for MLAs, which was also supported by Speaker U T Khader.

Speaking to reporters about this, Vijayendra said: “It’s definitely not a good development if an MLA or a people’s representative is seen as a VIP or different from common people. I am not in favour of this.”

The BJP state president added that he personally “disagreed” with the opinion of ruling and opposition party MLAs who had sought tickets.

“...Last year, due to the ruling party’s foolishness, 11 innocent people lost their lives. People of the state and the country haven’t forgotten it. In such a situation, I don’t understand why such statements were needed.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Surya echoed a similar sentiment.

“Had the Karnataka MLAs spent time in the Vidhana Soudha discussing safety and security preparedness for IPL fans, it would have upheld the dignity of the House. Instead, we saw MLAs pleading and even threatening for free tickets for themselves and their families. This is not just poor priority. It exposes a deeper problem - a VIP mindset that sees public office as entitlement.”

‘I don’t need it’

Responding to Surya’s opinion, Ashoka said: “That’s his personal opinion. The state government has given them land. The monthly rent is Rs 1,600. The MLAs won’t go – I haven’t gone myself. I give the tickets I get to the public and our workers. People ask us for tickets and people from all parties sought tickets.”

R Ashoka