Bengaluru: Amid turmoil and several resignations of senior leaders over grievances against the party for not getting tickets after the release of the first list of 189 candidates by BJP in the forthcoming coming Karnataka assembly polls, formers chief minister and the face of BJP in Karnataka, B S Yediyurappa said that the party is likely to release the second and the final list on Wednesday evening.
Speaking to the reporters, the veteran politician said, "I think the second list of candidates will be released by tonight". “There is '99% possibility that Jagadish Shettar (former Karnataka CM) will be given an election ticket. Out of 189 seats that were announced yesterday, we will win 125-130 seats. We are happy with the announcement. We will form a government in Karnataka,’ confident Yediyurappa said in a press conference on Wednesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka has released its first list of candidates for the upcoming state assembly elections. The announcement was made by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who revealed that the BJP would field a total of 189 candidates.
The list includes 52 new faces, as the party aims to give opportunities to young politicians and avoid controversial or tainted leaders. The list includes 32 candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), 30 from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 16 from the Scheduled Castes (SC). There are also nine doctors, one each from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), 31 postgraduates, and eight women on the list. Additionally, the list includes five advocates, three retired government employees, and eight social activists.
The BJP had been deliberating for several days before releasing the list, with a central election committee comprising Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP chief JP Nadda, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all participating in the discussions. PM Modi had emphasized that the party should prioritize giving opportunities to young and fresh faces. The list was finalized after senior BJP leaders from Karnataka held a daylong deliberation, incorporating suggestions made at the recent BJP Central Election Committee meeting.
Meanwhile the first list where many senior leaders were denied tickets has invited serious problems within the party. As K S Eshwarappa, former deputy chief minister of Karnataka, declined to contest the upcoming state assembly elections, another senior leader Laxman Savadi has decided to quit the party. This has caused turmoil within the Bharatiya Janata Party as it prepares for the elections, with members expressing resentment over the selection of candidates. Savadi, a former Deputy Chief Minister and a three-time MLA from Athani, was denied a ticket to run in the elections. In response, he announced his decision to leave the party and also resign as a member of the Legislative Council the next day.
“This his hurts me a lot. I am coming to a decision by calling a meeting of workers tomorrow. The fans asked me to resign as a member of the Legislative Council and as a member of the BJP. A final decision will be made tomorrow at 5 pm,” Savadi said.
“I am not angry with CM Bommai. Let him reach higher levels. I want him to become the prime minister of this country. Wherever and however I am, I have a Guru(Teacher). He is my teacher. I have huge respect for him. If he gives poison in a plate and asks me to drink it, I shall do that without hesitation” an emotional Savadi said. “I have already apologised to him for my decision,” he added.
