BJP faces resistance to re-nominate a few sitting MPs in Karnataka

Selecting candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls is proving to be a tough task for the Karnataka BJP, with sections of MLAs not in favour of re-nominating a few of the sitting MPs.

The BJP has formed clusters of LS constituencies. Senior leaders BS Yediyurappa, State President BY Vijayendra, former CM DV Sadananda Gowda and other leaders held separate meetings of three clusters consisting of 13 LS seats in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Sections of MLAs urged the party leaders not to field Union Minister Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar), Devendrappa (Ballari), Muniswamy (Kolar and Sanganna Karadi (Koppal) in the forthcoming polls, and go for fresh faces. Some of these MLAs have not been happy with their MPs as they believe they either did not support them enough or worked against them during the assembly polls held in May last year.


The MLAs, people in the know told ET, had accused the minister of working against party interests and trying to sabotage the state assembly polls. They also opposed giving Koppal MP Karadi Sanganna another ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Angered by the remarks, Khuba stormed out of the meeting.

State party president BY Vijayendra, in a bid to soothe ruffled feathers, has asked party members to voice their dissent in private and not “court controversies.” Their demands, he said, would be considered by the top brass.

In the last parliament elections, the party had won 25 seats, with the Congress and JDS claiming one seat each. This year the Karnataka BJP, which has allied with the JDS, has set an ambitious target of winning all the 28 seats from the state in the Lok Sabha polls due in a few months.