Bengaluru: Having set his sights on contesting from the Hanur Assembly constituency in Chamrajanagar district, BJP MLC, V Somanna is expectedly unhappy with the party’s decision to welcome the wife of former minister Nagappa, who represented it for two terms before he was killed by forest brigand Veerappan. He feels she could prove a threat to his ambitions.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mr Somanna admitted he was upset with state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa’s decision to induct Ms Parimala Nagappa into the party.
“I have already made up my mind to contest the coming Assembly polls frome Hanur. I am optimistic of getting the ticket. But there is still a year to go for the polls and many changes could take place in the meanwhile,” he said.
It’s no secret that the BJP MLC has been toiling hard to build a strong base for the saffron party in Charamajanagar district where the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have a strong presence.
He has clearly been taken aback by the BJP welcoming Ms Parimala Nagappa into the party as she has lost last two assembly polls by a huge margin and was elected from the Hanur constituency only once after the death of her husband.
His surprise is even greater as he was reportedly promised the Hanur ticket by Mr Yeddyurappa himself not so long ago in an attempt to pacify him after he had stayed away from party affairs over a few differences with him.
Some party insiders believe Mr Yeddyurappa may have made a blunder in inducting Ms Parimala into the party and disappointing Mr Somanna in the process. They warn that such mistakes could cost him dearly with hardly 12 months to go for the state Assembly polls.
