Denied ticket, ex-Dy CM Savadi to quit BJP?

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru:

Will former deputy chief minister and MLC Lakshman Savadi quit the BJP and join the Congress Party? This news is making the rounds in political circles after he was denied the ticket by the party high command to contest from Athani Assembly constituency in Belagavi district from where he had lost to Mahesh Kumtalli of the Congress Party in the 2018 Assembly polls. Subsequently, when B.S.Yediyurappa became chief minister for the fourth time, Savadi was nominated to the Upper House and also made Deputy Chief Minister.

When the Congress-JD(S) coalition government was brought down by a political coup engineered by 16 Congress and two JD(S) legislators, one of the MLAs who was part of this was Mahesh Kumtalli. In the changed political scenario, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh became close to the BJP leadership as they were responsible for the installation of the saffron party government in the State. Recently, there was high drama when Ramesh Jarkiholi refused to contest from the Gokak seat in the May 10 Assembly polls if his friend, Mahesh Kumtalli was denied the Athani ticket.

Savadi wants to contest from Athani by tendering his resignation from the Legislative Council. After the Gokak ‘Sahukar’ created a big scene, state leaders reportedly decided to give the ticket to Mahesh instead of Lakshman since the party does not have an able leadership in Belagavi district after the demise of two heavyweight leaders, Suresh Angadi and Umesh Katti. A miffed Savadi is unhappy over being sidelined in the party by state leaders. The former Athani MLA originally belonged to the Janata Parivar but later joined the BJP after B.S.Yediyurappa became CM.

There are reports that the Congress Party has sent feelers to him to convince him to join the grand old party. He has reportedly been promised a ticket from Athani without any preconditions. However, it is said that Savadi has put a condition that he wants to join the Congress Party in Delhi that too in the presence of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia, and Rahul Gandhi. A clear picture may emerge in the coming days.