Rebel trouble? Karnataka BJP races against time to nix dissent

Flames of dissent have been noted in Shimoga, Haveri, Tumkur, Bidar, Belgaum, Raichur and Chitradurga.

Bengaluru: With trouble breaking out even in Bengaluru on Monday, the BJP is on an overdrive to douse the fire of rebellion threatening its party’s prospects in 10 Lok Sabha segments of Karnataka, a Congress-ruled state crucial for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Monday, BJP workers in Yelahanka took to the streets against the BJP’s decision to field former minister K Sudhakar from Chikkaballapur even as the party claimed to have fixed issues in Davangere and Koppal where it faced rebel trouble. 

There are flames of dissent in Shimoga, Haveri, Tumkur, Bidar, Belgaum, Raichur and Chitradurga. 

Yelahanka BJP workers, said to be the supporters of MLA S R Vishwanath, protested with ‘Go Back Sudhakar’ posters. Vishwanath, whose constituency is important for the BJP in Chikkaballapur, had sought the ticket for his son Alok. Sudhakar said he would reach out to Vishwanath.

Earlier in the day, BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa and other top leaders held talks with outgoing Koppal MP Karadi Sanganna who had threatened to revolt after being denied the ticket.

After the meeting, Sanganna declared that he would work for the party. “Our goal is to ensure Modi’s re-election. I have been assured that all differences will be sorted out,” he said. It is said that Sanganna has been promised a “suitable” position after the BJP gave the Koppal ticket to Dr Basavaraj Kyavator, an orthopaedic surgeon. 

Yediyurappa also met outgoing Davangere MP G M Siddeshwar whose wife Gayatri has been fielded by the BJP.

Former BJP lawmakers M P Renukacharya and S A Ravindranath have opposed her candidature.

“Everything will be alright,” Siddeshwar said. Yediyurappa said he will visit Davangere on Tuesday to talk to the anti-Siddeshwar camp. 

“Everything will be alright,” Yediyurappa maintained. “We’re trying everything in our capacity to win all 28 seats.”

Last week, Yediyurappa went to Tumakuru to meet a sulking J C Madhuswamy, the former minister who is up in arms against BJP candidate V Somanna.

“We have successfully solved problems in Mysore, Bangalore North, Bidar, Kolar and Tumkur. We are now focusing on Davangere, Shimoga, Belgaum and other seats. We are confident of resolving problems in a few more days,” BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar said. 

In Belgaum, there is unhappiness over former chief minister Jagadish Shettar’s candidature. 

Similarly, in Bidar, BJP MLAs Prabhu Chauhan and Sharanu Salgar are maintaining distance from Union minister Bhagwanth Khuba, who was re-nominated despite their protests.

The Chitradurga ticket is on hold amid reports that the BJP wants to field former deputy chief minister Govind Karjol there instead of the sitting MP, Union minister A Narayanaswamy.

Here, the BJP may face trouble from the supporters of Holalkere MLA M Chandrappa who has sought the ticket for his son Raghuchandan. 

In Raichur, re-nomination for Raja Amareshwar Naik has upset former MP B V Nayak who joined the BJP from Congress with hopes. 

At Shimoga, BJP veteran K S Eshwarappa has announced his candidature as an Independent against Yediyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra. Eshwarappa wanted the Haveri ticket for his son K E Kanthesh, but the BJP picked former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai there.