BENGALURU : The BJP state core committee that met at the party state headquarters Jagannath Bhavan in Bengaluru on Sunday, October 3, 2021, shortlisted three probable candidates each for Hanagal and Sindagi Assembly constituencies which will go for bypolls on October 30.
Sources familiar with the developments told The New Indian Express that Revathi, wife of Haveri MP Shivakumar Udasi and daughter-in-law of the late CM Udasi, and Ramesh Bhusanur have emerged as frontrunners for Hanagal and Sindagi segments, respectively. Bypolls to Hanagal and Sindagi were necessitated following the demise of CM Udasi and MC Managuli (JDS), respectively.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister BC Patil has been made party in charge for Hanagal and former Deputy CM Lakshman Savadi for Sindagi. According to sources, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former CM BS Yediyurappa have favoured Revathi’s candidature for Hanagal as they are in good terms with the Udasi family. Moreover, retaining Hanagal is a matter of prestige for Bommai as the constituency falls in is home district Haveri.
Names of Kalyan Kumar Shettar, Shivaraj Sajjan, Siddaraja Kalakote and Mahantesh Soppina for Hanagal and Siddu Biradar and Sanganagouda Patil for Sindagi, were also discussed in the core committee meeting that lasted for over two hours. “The ground report shows BJP winning both the seats. We have recommended the names to the party central committee. After analysing internal and external reports, the high command will take a call anytime before the deadline to file the nominations (October 8),” said BJP national general secretary C T Ravi.
Asked about Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah hitting out at the JDS for naming candidates from the Minority community for both the seats to help the BJP by “dividing the secular votes”, Ravi hit back saying that the former chief minister should not poke his nose in the internal affairs of other parties.
BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in charge Arun Singh, Yediyurappa, Bommai, party state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former CM Jagadish Shettar and former Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda, ministers Govind Karjol, R Ashoka, B Sriramulu and Dr CN Ashwath Narayan and party state vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana took part in the discussions.
According to sources, Arun Singh has reportedly favoured fielding a member of the late CM Udasi’s family from Hanagal as former CM BS Yediyurappa would campaign aggressively. “But Bommai has reportedly said that the outcome of the bypolls will not impact the party’s prospects in the 2023 elections... so the party might take a chance and field new faces in Hanagal and Sindagi,” remarked a BJP leader. The BJP had fielded Mangala, wife of the late Suresh Angadi, from Belagavi Lok Sabha segment earlier this year and won the seat. The party might continue with that precedent and field a member of the Udasi family in Hanagal,” said a source.