BJP in Catch-22 over choice of candidates in Belagavi

Belagavi: BJP is facing a tall order, finalising its candidates for the 18 seats in Belagavi district. Internal disputes have thrown a spanner in the works of the party, with a sudden leadership vacuum, following the untimely demise of prominent leaders Umesh Katti and Suresh Angadi, further compounding the crisis.
According to sources, the party leadership is struggling to take a final call on more than half of the constituencies in the district.

To find a way out of this mess, the BJP central leadership has conducted a separate core committee meeting in Belagavi city, but has so far failed to come up with a consensus on the choice of candidates.
This impasse is likely to dent the party’s hopes in a district where it had won 10 out of the 18 seats in 2018.
Former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has demanded that he be given complete command of managing all the 18 seats for the party in Belagavi. In addition, he is insistent on securing tickets for four seats—one for himself and three for his followers: MLAs Mahesh Kumathalli and Shrimant Patil in Athani and Kagawad, respectively, and for Nagesh Mannolkar. He is said to be lobbying for Mannolkar in order to settle personal scores with sitting MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar.
Given such a scenario, BJP is now caught in a Catch-22 – it can neither reject Jarkiholi’s demands outright, given his stature and influence in the district, nor can it afford to upset the other leaders and party workers in the district who are opposed to Jarkiholi. Already, leaders like former deputy CM Laxman Savadi and Chikodi MP Annasaheb Jolle have lodged complaints with the party’s central leadership against Jarkiholi’s interference in the constituencies of other BJP MLAs.
In Athani, Jarkiholi is locked in an ugly battle of one upmanship with Laxman Savadi, who has also thrown his hat into the ring for a ticket. Jarkiholi has threatened the party leadership that he will take political ‘sanyas’ if his follower Mahesh Kumathalli is denied a ticket.
Meanwhile, in Belagavi (North), Khanapur and Savadatti constituencies, members of the Lingayat community have rebelled against sitting Belagavi (North) BJP MLA Anil Benake.
They are demanding a ticket for a Lingayat there. Few days ago, seven Lingayat organisations had staged a protest, pressing for their demand. Many known Lingayat faces, including former MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath, Dr Ravi Patil, and senior party office-bearer Murughendragouda Patil are in the race for a ticket.
However, for the BJP, it’s not easy to ignore sitting MLA Benake, a member of the Maratha community that constitutes the major vote share in the city.
The situation in Savadatti is equally intriguing, following the death of MLA Anand Mamani. Now, there are more than 10 contenders for the seat, including the wife of Mamani.
While handing a ticket to Mamani’s wife could well have been par for the course in terms of cashing in on the sympathy factor, BJP’s claim of eschewing dynastic politics has put paid to such a possibility.