All BJP MPs may not get tickets for LS polls

All sitting BJP MPs in Karnataka may not be given tickets to contest the Lok Sabha polls following reports from grassroots-level party workers and functionaries on the “poor show” and “lack of rapport” among the voters.

The BJP won 17 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2014 polls. Its tally was reduced to 16 after the party lost the Bellary Lok Sabha seat held by B Sriramulu to the Congress in the bypolls, last year.

In the last six months, a core team led by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, has been collecting feedback on the winnability of candidates, their rapport with the people and contribution to party work.

It is learnt that BJP national president Amit Shah has also got a survey done by a private firm on the prospects of the BJP in various constituencies.

Party sources said five to six sitting MPs have scored quite low in the feedback exercise. The list includes Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda (Bangalore North) and Ramesh Jigajinagi (Bijapur).

The names of Pratap Simha (Mysore), Karadi Sanganna (Koppal), P C Gaddigoudar (Bagalkot) are also doing the rounds in party circles that they might find it difficult to get tickets.

The sitting MPs of the coastal constituencies – Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi-Chikmagalur), Ananth Kumar Hegde (Uttara Kannada) and Nalin Kumar Kateel (Dakshina Kannada) - have fallen out with the local leaders.

However, nothing is final as of now. The names of all sitting MPs have been included in the probable list, the sources added. The final list will be drawn up by Shah in consultation with Yeddyurappa and RSS functionaries.