BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel has said that the decision on the candidature for byelection to the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency would be taken after the announcement of the date of polls.
Speaking to presspersons in Belagavi on Saturday, Mr. Kateel said he was touring the State in the wake of forthcoming elections to gram panchayats and bypolls of vacant seats of Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
“I am touring the State to make organisational preparations for the forthcoming elections. Belagavi is going to see bypoll for Lok Sabha constituency, bypolls are also scheduled to take place for Basavakalyan in Bidar district and Maski in Raichur district. We are confident that the BJP win all the bypolls,” he said.
Mr. Kateel said that steps were being taken to further strengthen the party and extend its base from the booth level and accordingly, directions had been given to the party workers.
Regarding the reopening of schools and colleges in the State, he said a discussion in this regard had begun and Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa too had already clarified that a decision would be taken by the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education in consultation with educationalists, teachers, and parents.
Meanwhile, a statement by former Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar Kore that he had not yet retired from politics has given room for speculation about him being an aspirant for BJP ticket for the Belagavi lok Sabha byelection. Mr. Kore, who attended the meeting called by Mr. Kateel, spoke to presspersons and said that the party high command would decide on the candidate.
When asked whether he would contest if the party chose him, he said that he had not yet retired from politics.