BENGALURU: With barely any time left, it is a race to the tickets for aspirants to 15 Assembly constituencies headed for bypolls. With disqualified MLAs of the Congress and JDS unlikely to get relief in time, BJP is looking for their next option, while the Congress and the JDS are looking for replacements.
Incidentally, most choices being thrown up are either kith and kin of disqualified MLAs or of prominent leaders. Disqualified MLAs who had hoped that the BJP would bail them out, are now compelled to fight two battles — one to stay relevant in their home turf, and another to fight their way back to electoral politics.
In Gokak, a seat that fell vacant with Ramesh Jarkiholi’s disqualification, Congress is keen on fielding his brother Lakhan Jarkiholi. BC Patil, disqualified MLA from Hirekerur, is looking to convince the BJP to field his daughter Shrusti Patil. In KR Pet seat that fell vacant after Narayana Gowda’s disqualification, the JDS wants to take no risks.
The party is keen on fielding none other than party supremo HD Deve Gowda’s daughter Anusuya Manjunath. Narayana Gowda, however, is lobbying hard to get a BJP ticket for his wife Devaki. A tug of war seems to be ensuing between disqualified MLA H Vishwanath and JDS MLA GT Devegowda on getting a BJP ticket for their sons. While the BJP is contemplating fielding Deputy CM Laxman Savadi from Athani, the Congress seems to be torn between two probables- AB Patil and Shahjahan Dongargaon.
In Yellapur too it is the tale of the ‘rising son’. Given his inability to contest polls immediately, disqualified MLA Shivram Hebbar is persuading the BJP leadership to give his son Vivek Hebbar a ticket, if not to his wife Vanajakshi. While former MLAs are naturally looking to maintain their sway over constituency by one way or another and push for their kith and kin to contest in their place, parties too seem to believe that is their best bet.