BELAGAVI: Alleging that Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde is ineligible for the post he holds, senior BJP leader Jayant Tinaikar urged the party high command not to issue ticket to him to contest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Tinaikar said it is time that Hegde retires from his political career and support some eligible BJP candidate to contest instead. He alleged that though elected six times, Hegde has failed to carry out any developmental works, not only in Khanapur or Kittur taluks, but the entire constituency till date.
Tinaikar said that during Hegde’s recent visit to Khanapur, he had advised him against contesting the polls, since he is unable to address people’s problems. He did not even meet some people, who called on him at his residence in Karwar to discuss some issues, he alleged.
“Hegde told me that he was medically unfit for the last four years and was unable to meet people and sort out their problems. However, he is fine now. Hegde has been elected six times -- 1996, 1998, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 -- but has not undertaken any developmental works during that long span in his constituency,” alleged Tinaikar.
‘Hegde may select candidate’
Tinaikar has called upon the people of Khanapur and Kittur to write to the BJP high command, urging it not to issue Hegde the ticket for contesting the Lok Sabha elections, and instead select any other eligible candidate.
He alleged that Hegde has dashed the expectations of 11 lakh voters of Khanapur taluk. “Let Hegde himself select an eligible candidate from the BJP to contest in the forthcoming elections and help him or her to victory. And if he does so, it will be appreciated by all voters of the two taluks,” Tinaikar concluded.