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Tensions between JD(S), BJP over Channapatna bypoll ticket
Tensions have emerged between the opposition alliance - Janata Dal JD(S) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - over the choice of candidate for the Channapatna assembly by-elections
Tensions have emerged between the opposition alliance - Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - over the choice of candidate for the Channapatna assembly by-elections, people familiar with the matter said.
While JD(S) has insisted upon on selecting the candidate, citing the party’s stronghold on the seat, BJP leader CP Yogeshwar has been pushing for his own candidacy, accusing JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy of trying to sideline BJP’s Vokkaliga leadership in the region.
Yogeshwar, who has expressed his intention to contest from Channapatna on an NDA ticket, has accused Kumaraswamy of monopolising the decision-making process. “HD Kumaraswamy is monopolising the first right to choose a candidate for the Channapatna assembly by-elections and trying to diminish BJP’s Vokkaliga leadership in Old Mysuru region,” Yogeshwar told media on Thursday.
In response, Kumaraswamy said: “I ask my BJP friends to call for a closed-door meeting to allay these fears and substantiate the allegations against me.”
Meanwhile, there has been a speculations on Kumaraswamy may field his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, as the JD(S) candidate for the by-elections. However, Kumaraswamy has refuted these claims, stating, “Who has suggested that we will field Nikhil? Nothing has been decided. Opinions are being gathered from both our party and BJP. Our goal is to win the Channapatna seat and strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hands.”
The situation has raised concerns among NDA allies, who fear a split in votes if BJP and JD(S) fail to present a united front. The Channapatna seat, located in a politically polarised area, is seen as crucial for both parties.
Channapatna lies in the Vokkaliga-dominated Bengaluru South district, a political stronghold for both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy. The district is part of the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP candidate and Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law, Dr. C.N. Manjunath, recently defeated Suresh. Shivakumar is reportedly eager to avenge this loss.
To resolve the issue, Kumaraswamy has planned a meeting with top BJP leaders, including BJP state president BY Vijayendra and leader of the opposition R Ashoka. “I have told the BJP leaders to schedule a meeting. BJP central leaders have left it to me to take a call on the Channapatna seat,” Kumaraswamy said.
Meanwhile, Vijayendra is set to visit Delhi for consultations with BJP’s central leadership to finalise candidates for the by-elections. The state BJP core committee has already prepared a list of potential candidates, which will be forwarded for final approval.
To a query on Channapatna bypoll, Vijayendra said that the party is yet to decide on their candidate and national party leaders will decide on the candidature of CP Yogeshwar.
The by-elections, prompted by the election of Kumaraswamy, Basavaraj Bommai, and E Tukaram to the Lok Sabha, include contests in Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur constituencies.
In Shiggaon, the possibility of Bommai’s son running as a candidate is being explored, while the Sandur seat in Ballari has drawn political attention due to the involvement of prominent figures like BJP leader Janardhan Reddy and Congress leader B Nagendra.
