BENGALURU: The ruling BJP seems to be heavily banking not only on its candidates’ support base in their respective constituencies to win the crucial bypolls, but also on Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s image and his government’s performance in the past four months.
In 13 out of 15 constituencies going to polls on December 5, disqualified Congress and JDS legislators are BJP candidates. The challenge before them is to retain their supporters, while the BJP leadership will try to ensure the party cadre works for them. “We are confident of winning 12 out of 15 seats, and are making all efforts to ensure that we win all 15 seats,” Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan told The New Indian Express. On several occasions, the CM too has stated that the party is confident of winning 12 to 13 seats.
According to the DyCM, in the run-up to the bypolls, the party had collected information from voters in the constituencies to assess their mood. “We found that the people are with us. They are happy with the performance of the chief minister and government,” he said.
State BJP General Secretary and MLC N Ravi Kumar said the party’s good performance in the just concluded urban local body elections show the party’s support base at the grass-root level has increased, and is also proof that people are happy with the performance of the BJP government headed by Yediyurappa. The BJP’s overall number of members in CMCs has increased from 51 to 125, whereas the Congress number has come down from 179 to 151 and that of JDS has reduced from 91 to 78 , he added.
However, party sources said the task of re-election will be more difficult for BJP candidates in Hoskote, Shivajinagar and Hunsur, compared to those in the remaining 12 segments.
In Hoskote, BJP rebel candidate Sharath Bache Gowda, who is supported by the JDS, looks formidable, while former minister H Vishwanath may find it difficult to get re-elected in JDS bastion Hunsur. “Anything can happen, and we have not given up on Shivajinagar,” said a BJP leader, explaining the tough challenge ahead for its candidate, former corporator M Saravana.
After BJP refused to admit him into the party, former minister R Roshan Baig is likely to contest as an Independent candidate to retain his hold over the segment. Sources said Baig is said to be trying to get the JDS ticket, though the party has already announced Tanveer Ahmed as its candidate. “Any day, Baig will be a much better candidate,” sources in the JDS said. They, however, said they have no information about Baig’s attempts to get in touch with H D Deve Gowda.
Baig was planning to join the BJP and contest as its candidate. The move was stalled by party leaders as they were concerned over his alleged involvement in the IMA scam becoming an election issue. “The IMA scam would have become a big issue against the party,” said a senior BJP leader. Baig was questioned by the Special Investigation Team that probed the scam before the case was handed over to the CBI. Baig, however, had rubbished all the allegations.