BJP in fix as war breaks out over Mysuru KR ticket

“While Ramdas and L Nagendra have distanced themselves from a group of BJP leaders led by Mysuuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, another group owing allegiance to Simha was trying to cut both the MLAs to size”

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: The present scenario of the Krishna Raja constituency in Mysuru takes one back to 2013 when the BJP lost its seat due to differences within.

A decade ago, then CM BS Yediyurappa floated the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) after spending a few weeks in jail for his alleged role in illegal mining in Ballari district. Following the vertical split in the saffron party, the then sitting MLA and minister SA Ramdas contested on the lotus symbol, and his opponent was another BLP leader, MV Rajeev as the KJP candidate.

In the election, the votes split, and the Congress candidate, MK Somashekar won because of this. After ten years, a similar situation is cropping up with a section of BJP leaders, not in favour of giving a ticket to the sitting MLA Ramdas on grounds that he did not do anything for the party except boosting his own image.

Recently, a few prominent leaders of the Brahmin community held a press conference asking the BJP to give a ticket to anyone other than Ramdas to retain the KR constituency. Close on the heels of the press conference, Rajeev also told media persons that he was an aspirant for the ticket from the constituency. He did add that he would work for anyone to whom the party gives a ticket in the coming Assembly elections.

Sources in the party told this correspondent that the group has curbed the BJP’s growth in the city and district. While KR constituency and Chamarajaa constituency BJP MLAs, Ramdas and L Nagendra have distanced themselves from a group of BJP leaders led by MysuuruKodagu MP Pratap Simha, another group owing allegiance to Simha was trying to cut both the MLAs to size by having their candidates in those two constituencies.

Mysureans saw how Simha took up cudgels against Ramdas over the design of bus shelters in the KR constituency, which created a rift in the party. The MP had gone to the extent of saying that we would bulldoze the newly-built bus shelters if the design was not changed immediately.

The MLA rushed to Bengaluru to meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and complained to him about Simha’s behaviour in public. War over the KR constituency ticket is slowly heating up and it is to be seen to what extent its contestants will go to procure it. But this fight is a welcome one for the Congress party without knowing about the on-going fight for the ticket for the same constituency with three to four strong contenders.