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Bypolls to two assembly seats in Karnataka on October 30: ECI
Informing that the BJP core committee has discussed the matter, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said, “We are getting a report from the ground and will start the candidate selection process.”
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced that the bypolls in Karnataka’s two assembly constituencies, Hanagal and Sindgi, will be held on October 30.
The two assembly constituencies fell vacant after CM Udasi, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader died on June 8 while MC Managuli, another senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader died earlier in January.
Informing that the BJP core committee has discussed the matter, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said, “We are getting a report from the ground and will start the candidate selection process.”
The bypolls come at a time when all three major political parties in Karnataka have seen problems and challenges emerging from within their respective outfits. The BJP is trying hard to contain growing dissent from within the party from those who have missed out on Cabinet berths and the former chief minister, BS Yediyurappa, who wants to tour the state ahead of the yet-to-be announced zilla and taluk panchayat elections as well before the 2023 assembly elections.
The Congress continues its infighting as its two top leaders--Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar—continues to maintain distance on who the chief minister would be if the party does win the 2023 assembly elections. A large faction within the Congress are trying to back Siddaramaiah for the top post again while Shivakumar has made no secret of his aspirations of becoming the chief minister.
The JD(S) has seen rebellion within its ranks with at least three legislators openly have spoken out against the top leadership of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy-led outfit.
“Our AICC (All India Congress Committee) has already announced a candidate for one seat and we have to discuss potential candidates and then send a proposal (to high command),” Shivakumar said in Delhi on Tuesday.
Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the party had already decided the candidate for one seat and there will be discussions held internally on the second constituency.
Ashok Managuli, the son of MC Managuli, had joined the Congress earlier this year and is expected to contest from Sindgi.
“Already for Hanagal we have announced a candidate (Nayaz). We have already started working for 2023 assembly elections and this (bypolls) are like a preparatory exams,”HD Kumaraswamy said. The party is currently holding a workshop to strategize for the assembly elections.
The JD(S) does not have a very large presence in northern Karnataka.
The BJP, however, remains tight lipped on whether Yediyurappa’s son, BY Vijayendra, will contest from Hanagal, considered a safe seat for the party.
B Sriramulu, Karnataka’s minister for transport and scheduled tribe welfare on Tuesday said that the party will take a call and that he was not aware of the state BJP’s decision.
The Congress and BJP had lost one seat each in the April 17 assembly bypolls as the former took Maski and the latter won in Basavakalyan. The Congress did give a tough fight in the Lok Sabha bypolls in Belagavi where the wife, Mangala Angadi, of late union minister Suresh Angadi managed to win by a slender margin against Satish Jarkiholi of the Congress.
The BJP had recently won in Belagavi and Hubbali-Dharwad urban local body polls and is trying to pip the Congress in Kalaburagi where a hung verdict has put the JD(S) in a position to bargain for the best offer.
The BJP is eyeing to further strengthen its numbers in the assembly with the victories in the upcoming bypolls and continue its momentum towards the assembly elections in 2023.
