Wary BJP wants KR Pet, Hoskote declared ‘sensitive’

The BJP on Saturday urged the Election Commission to declare KR Pet and Hoskote constituencies as “sensitive,” even as the saffron party is facing an uphill battle in these two segments.

Addressing a news conference, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said both the Congress and JD(S) were trying to “disrupt” the BJP’s electioneering by seeking to “create confusion” among voters. “So, I request the Election Commission to declare them as sensitive so that elections are conducted in a fair manner,” he said.

At KR Pet, where the BJP has fielded disqualified JD(S) legislator Narayana Gowda, the minister said, the Congress and the JD(S) were working together. “They are creating confusion and are using goondas,” he said. Gowda is up against former legislator K B Chandrashekar of the Congress and B L Devaraj of the JD(S).

In Hoskote, the BJP’s candidate is disqualified Congress legislator M T B Nagaraj, who is up against BJP’s rebel Sharath Bachegowda contesting as an independent and Congress’ Padmavathi Suresh, in what is tipped as a three-way contest. The JD(S) has not fielded a candidate and is supporting Sharath.

“Here, the Congress and the JD(S) are working together, out of fear of losing their identity,” Gowda claimed.

Gowda’s claims reiterate speculation that the Congress and the JD(S), former coalition partners, may be working in tandem to ensure the defeat of the disqualified legislators. However, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has denied this.

“The parties that will lose their identity are setting aside their principles to help each other so that they can save whatever will be left of them,” Gowda said.

“The JD(S) has completely crumbled and it has been reduced to just one household. And the Congress is fighting with its leader Siddaramaiah, who is all alone. Both parties threw mud at each other, but they’re now working together with the sole intention of defeating the BJP and our candidates,” he added.

Gowda, who is one of the BJP’s election incharges for the Chikkaballapur, KR Puram and Yeshwantpur constituencies, said the saffron party will win all 15 seats.

“In Yeshwantpur and KR Puram, local Congress leaders are attending our campaign and they’re with us. In Mahalakshmi Layout, the election is one-sided,” he said.