BJP keen to embarrass Congress in byelections

The BJP is working on a strategy to embarrass the Congress in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats and two Assembly segments.

The BJP wants the Congress to draw a nil in the polls, scheduled for November 3, and is working towards this direction.

Bypolls are being held for Shimoga, Bellary and Mandya Lok Sabha seats, besides Ramanagara and Jamakhandi Assembly constituencies. BJP had won the Shimoga and Bellary seats, the JD(S) had won Mandya and Ramanagara, while Congress had emerged victorious in Jamkhandi constitutency.

The BJP has not much hope in Mandya and Ramanagara as the party does not have a base in the two constituencies. The BJP core committee meeting chaired by state president B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday is said to have resolved that the party should strive to retain the Shimoga and Bellary seats. The committee finalised the names of former MP B Y Raghavendra for the Shimoga Lok Sabha bypoll and that of J Shantha for the Bellary Lok Sabha seat. Raghavendra is the son of Yeddyurappa and Shantha is the sister of former minister and Nayaka leader B Sriramulu.

The party also finalised the name of former MLA Srikanth Kulkarni for the Jamkhandi Assembly bypoll. The panel authorised Yeddyurappa to finalise the candidates for Mandya Lok Sabha and Ramanagara Assembly seats.

The party is keen that it somehow wrest the Jamkhandi seat from the Congress. The Jamkhandi byelection has been necessitated following the demise of sitting MLA Siddu Nyamagouda of Congress. However, it will be not an easy task for the BJP.

The Congress is banking on the sympathy factor and has decided to field the Anand Nyamagouda, son of Siddu Nyamagouda, in the
election.

In Bellary, the party is banking on the electoral management skills of Sriramulu, who holds an immense sway over the dominant Nayaka community in the constituency.

The party is certain that it will win the Shimoga seats given the influence Yeddyurappa commands over the electorate.