BENGALURU: Former Congress minister and disqualified MLA R Roshan Baig, who was hoping to contest the December 5 bypolls as the BJP candidate, has been left out in the cold. After BJP refused to induct him into the party and give ticket, Baig is now likely to contest as an independent candidate from Shivajinagar in Bengaluru.
Sources said after the Supreme Court verdict allowing disqualified legislators to contest the bypolls, Baig was planning to join BJP along with other leaders. However, on Thursday the BJP inducted all disqualified legislators except Baig. "Yes, there is opposition and he will not be inducted into the party," said a BJP leader.
The BJP also announced former corporator M Sharavana as its candidate from Shivajinagar constituency. While the JDS is fielding Tanveer Ahmed as its candidate, the Congress is likely to announce its candidate on Friday.
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Sources in the Congress said MLC Rizwan Arshad, who had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Bengaluru Central, or SA Hussian, KPCC Secretary and former chairman of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), is likely to get the party ticket.
Sources close to Baig said there is no clarity on his future plans. "No decision has been taken on contesting as an independent candidate. We will soon announce our decision," said a source close to Baig.
In 2018 assembly elections, the BJP election campaign in Bengaluru was targeted at Roshan Baig, KJ George and N A Haris. All three of them had managed to win the elections.
Baig was expelled from the Congress along with other disqualified legislators for anti-party activities.
He had called AICC general secretary KC Venugopal a buffoon and had held KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Siddaramaih and Venugopal responsible for the party’s poor show in the LS polls.
Congress leader Rizwan Arshad who had contested from Bangalore central LS seat had accused Baig of working against the party.
Baig was also questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing the multi-crore IMA scam.