BELAGAVI: The decision of the BJP to field its blue-eyed boy Laxman Savadi, former DCM in the MLC elections has come as a surprise to many leaders back in his home constituency of Athani, from where he was expected so far to be the BJP candidate in the next year's assembly election. However, highly placed sources in the party said, Savadi would be fielded as a BJP candidate in next year's assembly election as well.
Savadi's way to the Legislative Council is however believed as a step which will clear the way for sitting Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli to contest on a BJP ticket in the next assembly polls without much hassle. Given the way BJP has snubbed Kumathalli ever since he entered the party along with other MLAs via Operation Lotus, his supporters in the constituency are still sceptical of his chances of getting the party ticket again.
Sources close to Kumathalli said, for now, the BJP defused tensions in Kumathalli's camp by fielding Savadi in the Council polls.
As to why the BJP abruptly decided to field Savadi is something which has kept many party leaders in confusion. A source close to Savadi says the BJP may have fielded Savadi, a noted Lingayat leader (Lingayat-Ganiga) to deny the ticket to B Y Vijayendra (also Lingayat). For the past few years, the BJP leadership seems to be promoting Savadi as a Lingayat leader in the party against Yediyurappa. And that may be the reason why the BJP found Savadi as an alternative to Vijayendra, sources said.
Some leaders feel the BJP wanted to make the road clear for Kumathalli in an attempt to keep the flock of 17 defected MLAs together including Kumathalli ahead of the next year's elections and in wake of speculative reports that many of them may join the Congress.
It may be noted that as a Congress candidate Kumathalli had registered a huge win against BJP's Savadi in 2018. However, he switched to the BJP later and eventually won the bypoll from the same constituency.
According to senior BJP leader and former MLC Mahantesh Kavatgimath, the party is keen to field Savadi in the 2023 assembly election from Athani. ``The party fielded him in Council polls only because he is a senior leader and the party wants to ensure that he remains in the Legislative House under any circumstances,'' he added.
A large section of the BJP in the state is said to be against fielding most of the defected MLAs in the next year's assembly election but the BJP leadership is expected to take a call on it based on its ``position'' when the elections draw closer, sources said.