BJP unlikely to heed demand for Mysore, Bidar tickets

 The BJP central leadership is unlikely to consider former MP C H Vijayashankar’s request for the ticket to contest from his home turf Mysore, instead of Hassan.

Vijayashankar, now asked to contest from Hassan, has been insisting on the Mysore seat. Sources in the party said that in case Vijayashankar refuses to contest from Hassan, the ticket may be given to Navile Annappa, the former chairperson of Hassan Urban Development Authority or to Rekha Huliyappagowda, the former president
of Chikmagalur Zilla Panchayat.

On the other hand, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli has been lobbying to field his son Suryakanth in Bidar.

The party central leadership is understood to have told sitting legislator Gurpadappa Nagamarapalli to either contest from Bidar or leave the decision to them on the candidature.

The ticket is likely to be given to Prakash Khandre or Mallikarjuna Khuba (JD-S MLA from Basavakalyan) if Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli is persistent on fielding his son.

However, JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy said he had no idea of Khuba’s plan to join the BJP.