BELAGAVI: Some BJP leaders from Belagavi are desperately lobbying for a party ticket to contest the bypoll for the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat. The bypoll is necessitated after the death of Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi recently. However, several top leaders including Minister for Major Industries Jagadish Shettar and Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi have come out openly in support of Angadi’s wife or daughter Shraddha, demanding a BJP ticket to either of them.
Shettar is keen to have his daughter-in-law Shraddha, as the candidate while many other leaders want the party to field Angadi’s wife, Mangala. While the list of BJP ticket aspirants is getting longer, the name of Ramesh Jarkiholi’s son Amarnath, has been receiving tremendous support from netizens for the past few days. But Ramesh has clarified that his son was not in contention. “I will want my sister Mangala (Angadi’s wife) as the candidate,’’ he said.
Most relatives, supporters and close friends of Angadi have rallied behind Angadi’s wife and daughter. Angadi’s close relative Lingaraj Patil met BJP state president Nalin Kateel demanding a ticket for one of the family members. With none from his family in active politics, it remains to be seen if the BJP top leadership considers their demands.The party top leadership is unlikely to buckle under pressure, for it is keen to have a leader who is capable of retaining the Belagavi LS seat held by Angadi for four terms starting 2004.