BJP rewards Cong defectors Kumar Bangarappa, Narendra Babu

Bengaluru: While mining baron turned politician  Janardhan Reddy, is being treated as an outcast in the party, the BJP has done the next best thing and  fielded his brother, Somashekar Reddy in Ballari City.

Sanna Fakirappa, a staunch follower of Valmiki strongman and Janardhan Reddy confidante B Sriramulu has bagged Ballari (ST)  ticket. 

The BJP’s second list of 82 candidates released on Monday, also rewarded Congress defectors such as Kumar Bangarappa, son of farmer CM S. Bangarappa, who has been fielded from Soraba against his younger brother, Madhu Bangarappa, contesting on JD(S) ticket. Another Congress leader, who  left it to join the BJP recently, N.L. Narendra Babu, has been fielded from Mahalakshmi Layout. But  Congress leader K. Jayaprakash Hegde, who recently jointed the BJP and was a contender for Byndoor ticket, has been denied it.  The party has fielded Mr  H. Ravindra against Housing Minister M. Krishnappa in Vijayanagara and U. Rajesh Naik against Forest Minister B. Ramanatha Rai in Bantawal, which both the BJP and RSS are reportedly determined to win owing to the killing of RSS and BJP workers in the coastal district. 

Interestingly, the BJP has not yet finalised its candidates for Mangaluru City, Mangaluru North and Mangaluru constituencies,  represented by Congress MLAs. Party sources say the coastal BJP and RSS leaders are at loggerheads over candidates here. The party has also not announced its candidate for Varuna constituency where CM Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra is contesting, although it’s believed it will opt for B.Y. Vijayendra, son of state BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa. With this, the party has announced candidates for 154 constituencies and has still to take a call on 70. It has so far finalised candidates for its stronghold of Mumbai-Karnataka and parts of Hyderabad Karnataka.

Operation Lotus! Miffed Ballari MLA Gopalkrishna dumps congress?

The BJP which had once resorted to Operation Lotus to gain the requisite numbers to come to power, is at it again. A sitting Congress MLA who was denied the ticket, has decided to join the party and contest the assembly elections,

Mr  N.Y. Gopalkrishna is the Congress MLA from Ballari Rural seat which he had won in a 2014 bypoll after  B. Sreeramulu of the BJP was elected to the Lok Sabha. In a dramatic development, Mr Gopalkrishna met former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and party candidate for Molakalmuru, B. Sreeramulu and was convinced to join the BJP.

Emerging from the meeting, Mr Gopalkrishna blasted the Congress party for denying him the ticket. "I am going to join the BJP on April 18. Mr Sreeramulu has spoken to party president B.S. Yeddyurappa. I will contest the elections from Kudligi where BJP MLA A. Nagendra has joined the Congress party."
Mr Gopalkrishna hails from Molakalmuru constituency. The BJP has already decided to field Mr Sreeramulu from that constituency and the entry of Mr Gopalkrishna will help Mr Sreeramulu gather votes which he might have lost after sitting BJP MLA Mr Thippeswamy revolted and decided to fight against Mr Sreeramulu.  

Meanwhile, Congress campaign committee chairman, D.K. Shivakumar who is believed to be in touch with Mr Thippeswamy, has reportedly assured him the Congress ticket though the party has announced a candidate for the seat.