In a major snub to its State core committee and Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, the BJP high command has rejected all the three names recommended by them to contest the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled on June 19.
Instead in a surprise move, the high command has chosen two lesser-known, old-time party workers as its candidates: the BJP’s organizational in-charge leaders for Belagavi and Ballari zones, Eranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasthi, respectively.
Mr. Kadadi, who has been a party worker for over three decades, hails from Belagavi district and has served as the president of the Belagavi Zilla Panchayat. He belongs to the dominant Panchamashali Lingayat community.
Mr. Gasthi has served as the chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. He belongs to the backward Savitha Samaja community.
While the BJP can win two seats comfortably with its present numerical strength in the Legislative Assembly, the State core committee had recommended three names: educationist Prabhakar Kore, who had sought renomination, hotelier Prakash Shetty, and Ramesh Katti, brother of disgruntled leader Umesh Katti, who is upset over not getting ministerial berth.
This was seen in State BJP circles as a clever strategy, as the onus of placating the Katti brothers was left to the party high command.
However, the BJP Central Election Committee took everyone by surprise and chose its own candidates.
While the prominent leaders of the party, especially those belonging to Mr. Yediyurappa’s camp, have been rattled by the choices, the party cadre is happy. “For the first time, ordinary party workers have been chosen as candidates for the Rajya Sabha,” a party functionary said.
This is also being seen as a clear and stern message to Mr. Yediyurappa as the high command has rejected the candidature of both Mr. Kore and Mr. Shetty who are said to be very close to him.
This has come at a crucial juncture when some of the party MLAs from North Karnataka, especially those from the Lingayat community from which Mr. Yediyurappa hails, have raised a banner of revolt against his leadership by holding meetings. Interestingly, both the candidates for the Rajya Sabha hail from North Karnataka.
According to a senior party leader, the selection of candidates has again showed that the BJP State unit is not in sync with the thinking of its central leaders, who have been insisting on giving importance to the cadre as well as new faces.
