LS poll: BJP core panel to meet next week

Bengaluru: The BJP core committee is likely to meet next week to shortlist candidates for the coming Lok Sabha poll. While the party is reportedly keen on giving tickets to its sitting Members of Parliament once again, some of its  district workers are against the idea.

The party has therefore promised to strictly go by survey reports before selecting the candidates and take feedback from the BJP's district core committees, according to sources.

"We will take the opinion of BJP district core committees and party office bearers before finalising candidates for Chamarajanagara, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Koppal, Kalaburgi, Ballari and  Chikkodi constituencies," said a senior  party leader.

Although state BJP president, B.S. Yeddyurappa has already asked a  few of his loyalists to  prepare to contest the  Lok Sabha poll,  sitting BJP MPs, Shobha Karandlaje and Nalin Kumar Kateel are facing opposition from local BJP cadres to their candidature for the LS poll again, say sources.  

 BJP cadres are also reportedly against the party fielding Mr Ramesh Katti from Chikkodi as he was defeated in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll from the constituency.  The party itself is said to be lukewarm to the idea of  fielding Ms J. Shantha, sister of senior leader, B. Sreeramalu, from Ballari, as she was defeated in the recent byelections from the constituency.

While the  BJP is likely to field Mr D.S. Veeraiah from Kolar and former MP, Basavaraj from Tumakuru,  should Congress MLA, Dr. Umesh Jadav join the party, he could be fielded from Kalaburagi, say sources.  

Meanwhile, Mr. Prabhakar Kore, a Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, is reportedly, seeking a ticket from Belagavi,  which is represented by Mr Suresh Angadi at present, and  Mr K. Jayaprakash Hegde is said to be lobbying hard for a ticket from Udupi-Chikamagaluru.