Karnataka polls: BJP sets out to douse fire as Congress, JDS seek to fish in troubled waters

Top BJP leaders in Delhi and Karnataka got into a firefighting mode on Wednesday after the party’s first list of 189 candidates sparked displeasure across sections of ticket aspirants. Karnataka is scheduled to face assembly polls on May 10.

Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who represents Dharwad Central in the Assembly, rushed to Delhi to meet the party leaders and press for a ticket. He has protested denial of ticket to him, but the party has not announced any candidate yet for Shettar’s seat, raising hopes in the former BJP state president.

He is scheduled to meet BJP national president JP Nadda in the evening. On Tuesday, Shettar said he would remain active in electoral politics for another 15 years.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told media in Bengaluru that the party’s first list of 189 candidates has been welcomed in most constituencies. There were some leaders who were unhappy, and the party was talking to them.

On former Deputy CM Lakshman Savadi’s plans to quit the party, Bommai said he shared a very sentimental relationship with the Belagavi leader and had asked him not to take a hasty decision. Savadi has a good future in the BJP, the CM said. But Savadi is said to have decided to move on, pursuing plans to contest from Athani either on a Congress or JDS ticket, sources said.

Savadi, who lost the 2018 assembly polls to the Congress, is upset that the party has named Mahesh Kumathalli as its candidate for Athani. Kumathalli is one of the 17 MLAs who switched over to the BJP and helped it form the government in 2019.

Fisheries Minister S Angara announced his retirement from politics after the party denied him the ticket for Sullya in Dakshina Kannada district. He said he would stay away from campaigning for Bhagirathi Murulya, the party’s new face.

The Congress which is yet to announce its third list and the JDS which is yet to put out its second list are said to be in touch with sections of disgruntled BJP leaders upset over denial of ticket. Speculations are rife that leaders from rival parties have even offered to fund rebel candidates to defeat BJP candidates so that it would improve the chances of their own candidates.

The Congress has already announced names for 166 out of 224 constituencies and the party candidates have already started campaigning. The JDS has put out a list of 93 candidates.

Top leaders including Nadda, general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh and others held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s residence on containing discontentment in parts of the southern state.

Three BJP leaders had announced retirement from electoral politics even before the party announced the list on Tuesday evening. Former minister KS Eshwarappa (Shivamogga), Halady Srinivasa Shetty (Kundapur) and SA Ravindranath (Davanagere North) said they would not contest polls.