Lost Hunsur, Hoskote due to lack of coordination: BJP

Though BJP secured a comfortable majority by winning 12 of the 15 constituencies, party leaders opine that they could have won all, if not for some confusion within party ranks regarding candidates.

BJP lost Hunsur, Hoskote and Shivajinagar constituencies, but only the defeat in Hoskote came as a surprise. According to BJP general secretary Aravind Limbavali, lack of coordination between party workers hurt BJPs prospects and resulted in the defeat of MTB Nagaraj.

“We will strengthen the party in Hoskote and will win in the future,” he said. Despite the action taken against BJP rebel Sharath Bachegowda, new cadre of the party and the old cadre did not gel well during campaigning, sources said.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, commenting on the defeat in Hunsur, blamed it on the confusion over the selection of candidate.

Even before JD(S) rebel A H Vishwanath was officially announced as the BJP candidate, another BJP leader C P Yogeeshwar had launched his campaign in the constituency. Apart from a strong contest by Congress’s H P Manjunath, the early campaign by Yogeeshwar dented BJP’s prospects, said sources.

The results is learnt to have left Vishwanath in a quandary, as he was offered MLC and minister posts in exchange to allow Yogeeshwar to contest. Vishwanath, however, had rejected the offer.