Bangalore, Apr 5: Electioneering in Karnataka is entering crucial phase around next five days as
both the Congress and the BJP are set to release their respective list of
candidates by April 10.
According to BJP sources, the party's central committee that
comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi among top leaders may give its nod to
first list of candidates for May 12 polls on April 10 while Congress state unit
screening committee will make its recommendation to the party high command
latest by April 9-10.
For BJP, the next few days would be critical in more ways than one as party chief Amit Shah is likely to pay
visit to crucial hubs like Hyderabad-Karnataka region of Ballary, Gadag and Raichur.
This region is politically sensitive due to the supposed influence of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, but a scan tainted business tycoon.
The party chief Amit Shah had earlier tried to downplay Reddy's influence saying BJP has no relationship with him; but local BJP insiders suggest the 'importance' of Janardhana Reddy factor cannot be ignored completely as the saffron party needs Mr Reddy's close aide B Sriramulu.
An influential leader in his own right as the face of Scheduled Tribe Nayaka community, the BJP poll strategists known that Sriramalu's rebellion against BJP in 2013 had cost the party dearly as a newly floated BSR-Congress had polled 2.7 per cent of the votes eating chiefly into BJP's vote share.
"Things may get clearer after Amit Shah's visit into the region, we are hopeful of winning BJP support base in these areas as the people here had voted overwhelmingly in 2008 and also later in 2014 Assembly polls," a key BJP leader said.
In BJP's first list of candidates, the decision could be chiefly about the sitting MLAs and they may be repeated.
However, in few pockets rebellion has started surfacing forcing state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa to meet some disgruntled leaders and placate them.
Lately, he met former Minister H Halappa, who has sounded his displeasure over the party's keenness to field Kumar Bangarappa, son of a former Chief Minister, from Sorab Assembly in Shivamogga district.
Mr Halappa had represented this seat between 2008 and 2013 but lost five years back to JD(S) nominee and Kumar Bangarappa's brother S Madhu Bangarappa.
Another prominent BJP leader V Somanna and a Lingayat leader is also peeved as his plea for Hanur constituency in Chamarajanagar district might be rejected.
This could actually foment further internal squabble in the saffron outfit as Mr Somanna, the former Housing Minister under Yeddyurappa, is said to have changed loyalty to Ananth Kumar camp.
Apparently, Mr Yeddyurappa wanted Somanna to join his Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) in 2012 but Somanna had decided to stay back in BJP. However, now for the prestigious Hanur assembly segment, Mr Yeddyurappa seemed to be in favour of fielding senior leader Parimala Nagappa's son Preetam Nagappa.
In electoral sense, the Hyderabad-Karnataka region is dominated by the Lingayats thus giving BJP an advantage, but any mistake can upset the entire apple-cart of caste idioms.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is a prominent opposition face in the region but does not hold a political grip to influence the voting pattern as such.
However, Junior Kharge - Priyank won the Chittapur (Scheduled Caste reserved) constituency in 2013 - actually winning back the seat for Congress as in 2009 by polls BJP's Valmiki Nayak had defeated Priyank.
In 2008 Assembly polls, Mallikarjun Kharge had won the seat braving a strong pro-Yeddyurappa wave in the region. UNI
For BJP, the next few days would be critical in more ways than one as party chief Amit Shah is likely to pay
visit to crucial hubs like Hyderabad-Karnataka region of Ballary, Gadag and Raichur.
This region is politically sensitive due to the supposed influence of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, but a scan tainted business tycoon.
The party chief Amit Shah had earlier tried to downplay Reddy's influence saying BJP has no relationship with him; but local BJP insiders suggest the 'importance' of Janardhana Reddy factor cannot be ignored completely as the saffron party needs Mr Reddy's close aide B Sriramulu.
An influential leader in his own right as the face of Scheduled Tribe Nayaka community, the BJP poll strategists known that Sriramalu's rebellion against BJP in 2013 had cost the party dearly as a newly floated BSR-Congress had polled 2.7 per cent of the votes eating chiefly into BJP's vote share.
"Things may get clearer after Amit Shah's visit into the region, we are hopeful of winning BJP support base in these areas as the people here had voted overwhelmingly in 2008 and also later in 2014 Assembly polls," a key BJP leader said.
In BJP's first list of candidates, the decision could be chiefly about the sitting MLAs and they may be repeated.
However, in few pockets rebellion has started surfacing forcing state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa to meet some disgruntled leaders and placate them.
Lately, he met former Minister H Halappa, who has sounded his displeasure over the party's keenness to field Kumar Bangarappa, son of a former Chief Minister, from Sorab Assembly in Shivamogga district.
Mr Halappa had represented this seat between 2008 and 2013 but lost five years back to JD(S) nominee and Kumar Bangarappa's brother S Madhu Bangarappa.
Another prominent BJP leader V Somanna and a Lingayat leader is also peeved as his plea for Hanur constituency in Chamarajanagar district might be rejected.
This could actually foment further internal squabble in the saffron outfit as Mr Somanna, the former Housing Minister under Yeddyurappa, is said to have changed loyalty to Ananth Kumar camp.
Apparently, Mr Yeddyurappa wanted Somanna to join his Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) in 2012 but Somanna had decided to stay back in BJP. However, now for the prestigious Hanur assembly segment, Mr Yeddyurappa seemed to be in favour of fielding senior leader Parimala Nagappa's son Preetam Nagappa.
In electoral sense, the Hyderabad-Karnataka region is dominated by the Lingayats thus giving BJP an advantage, but any mistake can upset the entire apple-cart of caste idioms.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is a prominent opposition face in the region but does not hold a political grip to influence the voting pattern as such.
However, Junior Kharge - Priyank won the Chittapur (Scheduled Caste reserved) constituency in 2013 - actually winning back the seat for Congress as in 2009 by polls BJP's Valmiki Nayak had defeated Priyank.
In 2008 Assembly polls, Mallikarjun Kharge had won the seat braving a strong pro-Yeddyurappa wave in the region. UNI
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