HUBBALLI: With Legislative Assembly polls round the corner, BJP leader and former minister Basavaraj Bommai is facing a revolt within the local unit in his home constituency of Shiggaon with local leaders threatening to contest against him in the polls.
Contending that Mr Bommai swore on his mother that he would give up the constituency to local candidates before contesting elections in 2008, these leaders claimed that he has reneged on his promise.
Denying any such promise, Mr Bommai has intensified his poll campaign and riding high on development works launched by him when he held the portfolio of water resources in the government headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurapppa.
BJP leaders MLC Somanna Bevinamarad and former legislator Rajashekhar Sindhur are spearheading the compaign against Mr Bommai. Mr Sindhur claimed that he stepped back to make way for Mr Bommai a decade ago to strengthen the hands of Mr Yeddyurappa to gain power. He stated that Mr Bommai had promised to give up the constituency after two Assembly elections and also the party had assured him to provide ticket for Lok Sabha or MLC elections.
Sources in the party said Mr Bevinamarad has been trying to spoil the chance of Mr Bommai by mobilizing voters of dominant Panchamasali Lingayat community to which he belongs.
