Hectic lobbying in BJP for Jamkhandi Assembly ticket

Hectic lobbying is being witnessed in BJP for the Jamkhandi Legislative Assembly seat, byelection for which will be held on November 3.

Sangamesh Nirani, brother of former minister Murgesh Nirani who had contested as a rebel from the constituency in the Assembly polls held in May, has sought a ticket stating that he has the support of Lingayat leaders in the constituency.

The BJP old guard, on the other hand, wants the ticket to be given to Srikant Kulkarni, who had contested unsuccessfully last time, claiming that he has the support of the Sangh cadre.

The Jamakhandi byelection has been necessitated following the demise of sitting MLA Siddu Nyamagouda of Congress. Nyamagouda had defeated Kulkarni by a margin of 3,000 votes.

The supporters of Kulkarni met BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday.

They are learnt to have told Yeddyurappa that Nirani does not have the support of the party workers.

Kulkarni can give a tough fight to the Congress which is banking on the sympathy factor, they said.

The party is planning to field the Anand Nyamagouda,
son of Siddu Nyamagouda, in the election.

Meanwhile, Nirani has come to the support of his brother. Nirani is said to have told the party leaders that he will remain neutral in the byelection if his brother is not given a ticket.

Yeddyurappa told reporters that a final decision on the party’s candidates for Jamkhandi, Ramanagara assembly seat, besides that for the three Lok Sabha constituencies - Shimoga, Mandya and Bellary will be decided in two days.

Former minister B Sriramulu has been made the election in charge of Bellary constituency. The party is likely to field Yeddyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra from Shimoga and local leader M Rudresh from Ramanagara. The BJP core committee is scheduled to meet this week.

Replying to a question, Yeddyurappa rubbished reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the state.

There were reports in certain sections of the local media that Modi is likely to contest from Karnataka with an aim to increase BJP’s influence in the South.

“There is no such thinking. It is all far from the truth,” Yeddyurappa said.