BENGALURU: A BJP delegation, led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, called on BJP national president JP Nadda and general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh in New Delhi on Friday, and discussed the selection of candidates for the bypolls to three Assembly constituencies -- Shiggaon, Channapatna and Sandur.
Ashoka had lobbied for former minister CP Yogeshwara to be the NDA candidate for Channapatna, but later clarified that he will adhere to the decision of the party top brass as well as Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy.
“Nikhil Kumaraswamy (Who is Kumaraswamy’s son) is a JDS state youth wing president and he can campaign across the state with Channapatna being his favourite. There’s nothing wrong with it. Similarly, Yogeshwara has also been active in the constituency,” Ashoka said.
He claimed that he spoke to Yogeshwara, who told him he had not issued any statements with regards to the Channapatna seat. Ashoka ruled out the possibility of Yogeshwara contesting as a BSP candidate as reported in a section of the media.
“We discussed the bypolls in detail with Santhosh and Nadda. We stressed that we will certainly win the seats if we go united (with JDS). Once the elections are declared, the high command, including JDS leader Kumaraswamy, will decide on the candidates. We will abide by their decision,” he said.
He clarified that there is no rift between BJP and JDS and they will fight the bypolls as NDA parties.
He said Deputy CM and KPCC president DK Shivakumar cannot fool voters of Channapatna, claiming himself to be the Congress candidate in the bypoll. “The people of Channapatna are smarter than Shivakumar and they have understood his drama,” Ashoka added.
He claimed that Channapatna is a BJP-JDS stronghold with Yogeshwara and Kumaraswamy winning the seat several times. “Congress garnered just 20,000 votes in the 2023 Assembly polls. How can Shivakumar take it to 90,000 or 1 lakh votes,” he asked.