The BJP has finalised three candidates for the bypolls from the four Teachers and Graduates constituencies (two each) to the Legislative Council and it is good news for Shashil Namoshi and Mohan Limbikai, both staunch loyalists of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.
The party will field A H Shivayogiswamy from the South-east Graduates constituency and K Neelaiah and Namoshi from Bangalore Teachers and North-east Teachers’ constituencies respectively.
The decision was taken by the party’s Core Committee meeting, chaired by State president Prahlad Joshi, on Tuesday.
Sitting member Mohan Limbikai is almost finalised as the West Graduates nominee, but a final announcement will be made later. The elections are scheduled to be held in June.
Limbikai had quit the saffron party for Yeddyurappa’s KJP just a year ago. Namoshi had quit the BJP after being denied a ticket from Gulbarga South constituency in the last Assembly elections. He even contested as a JD(S) candidate and lost. Both rejoined the party later.
Joshi told reporters that the selection of the party’s candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka, which become vacant next month, was not discussed in Tuesday’s meeting.
Eshwarappa to be Oppn Leader?
Former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa is likely to be inducted into the Legislative Council in place of D V Sadananda Gowda and made the Opposition Leader, if the latter wins from the Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency, sources said.