The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is waiting for clarity to emerge on the issue of the disqualified MLAs contesting the Assembly bypolls as the Supreme Court takes up their petitions for hearing on Monday.
According to highly placed sources in the BJP, the central leadership has taken a stand to honour the commitment provided to the disqualified MLAs of protecting their political interests.
“That being the case, there is no question of ignoring them even if the Supreme Court’s decision is not in their favour. The party will field them as candidates if they get a favourable verdict. Otherwise, we will give preference to candidates suggested by the disqualified MLAs,” a prominent BJP leader said.
If the court does not take any decision sooner or if its verdict goes against the disqualified MLAs, then they are most likely to suggest the names of their family members. Some of them are likely to seek party ticket for their wives, sources said.
However, there is a feeling among a section of the leaders managing the bypolls that the family members are politically not a match for the disqualified MLAs themselves as most of them (family members) are not active in public life. But there is no choice for the party as it cannot choose its own candidates in the constituencies of disqualified MLAs.
Senior BJP leaders also pointed out that a couple of disqualified MLAs have made it clear that they or their family members would not contest the bypolls. In such constituencies, the party would make its own choice of candidates in consultation with the disqualified MLAs, they said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who rushed to New Delhi on Saturday soon after the declaration of bypolls, met party national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday and held consultations with him on the precarious scenario for the party in Karnataka as there is no legal clarity on the disqualified MLAs though bypolls have been announced.
Mr. Shah reportedly asked him to wait for Monday’s hearing before taking a call on the candidates.
Central assistance
Mr. Yediyurappa told mediapersons in New Delhi that the purpose of his visit was to seek central assistance for taking up flood-relief works in the State and that Mr. Shah had assured him of releasing funds in a couple of days.