BJP finalises its by-poll candidates

The by-election heat is rising among the political parties in the state. The ruling BJP and the opposition parties, Congress and JD(S), are busy working out a strategy to win elections. The nomination filing process will start from Wednesday. BJP has almost finalised on the candidates for three assembly constituencies:  former MLA CP Yogeshwar for Channapatna, M Narayanaswamy for Bangarpet and SV Ramachandra for Jagalur. 

The BJP election committee meeting under the leadership of party state president KS Eshwarappa will  finalise candidates and forward the same to the party central election committee. It has decided to field former MLA and chairman of Karnataka Silk Industries Development Corporation Yogeshwar from Chanapatna, the strong belt of JD(S).

Yogeshwar elected from the same constituency twice in 2008 assembly elections won while he was in Congress, but he fell into the net of BJP’s Operation Lotus and resigned. Then in the bye-election he contested as a BJP candidate but lost to JD(S) candidate MC Ashwath.

For Bangarpet and Jagalur, BJP has chosen former MLAs Narayanaswamy and Ramachandra, who resigned from their membership as a part of Operation Lotus.

JD(S) state president and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is mulling over to jump into the fray from Channappatna. The voice of the JD(S) has come down in the assembly because JD(S) floor leader HD Revanna failed to present the issues in the assembly effectively.  To strengthen the party, Kumaraswamy is likely to emerge a candidate for Channapatna.

Congress has sent party members to all the three constituencies. After they submit the report, state election committee will decide on the candidates and forward the same to the high command, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameswhar.