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Karnataka polls: BJP denies ticket to seven sitting MLAs in second list; Protests continue
Madal Virupakshappa, K S Eshwarappa and ex-chief minister Jagadish Shettar are some of the excluded names.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left out seven sitting MLAs from its second candidates list for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka, due to be held on May 10 (counting will be on May 13), even as protests by supporters of several leaders continued.
The party omitted Madal Virupakshappa, who was recently arrested in a bribery case. It also left out K S Eshwarappa, who announced his retirement from electoral politics, having been involved in a corruption case as well. There was also no sign of ex-chief minister Jagadish Shettar's name or his traditional seat in the lists released.
Shettar held a meeting with BJP National President JP Nadda on Wednesday and expressed his interest in contesting the elections. He had earlier also said he was “hurt” after being told to stand down. The BJP has so far announced 212 candidates to the 224-member house.
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While the first list of 189 candidates had eight women and 52 new faces, the second one, of 23 candidates, included four Scheduled Caste (SC), one Scheduled Tribe (ST) and two women candidates. The party's election strategy in the southern state has been to follow the “one family, one ticket” principle, which has prevailed in this election so far.
However, it prompted discontentment from several existing leaders and their supporters, who held protests, especially as the BJP had included even those who jumped ship recently from its rivals. Supporters of history-sheeter Sunil Kumar, also called “Silent Sunil”, also protested against the inclusion of former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao in the upcoming election, and tried to break in to the BJP office in Bengaluru.
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It was raining resignations and retirements from the excluded Karnataka BJP leaders, namely ex-deputy CM Laxman Savadi, six-time MLA S Angara from Sullia constituency in Dakshina Kannada district and BJP MLC R Shankar, among others. In this regard, former chief minister and senior BJP leader Yediyurappa accepted there are issues and said the party is trying to pacify those who are not happy with the candidates' list.
As the party faced dissent in its ranks, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the state was being badly governed and that the infrastructure in Bengaluru was becoming an “embarrassment.” “People in this state are tired of the 40 per cent commission. What they want is 100 per cent commitment and that’s what we will give – 100 per cent commitment to the well-being of the people of Karnataka,” he said.
