Karnataka: 16 Disqualified INC-JDS MLAs’ get entry to BJP, but what about victory in 05 December bye-polls?

All the 17 Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) Members of state Assembly but for R Roshan Baig(former Shivajinagar Congress MLA) have formally joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) on 14 November and have also been gifted with the saffron party tickets to contest the ensuing 05 December bye-polls. But now the moot point haunting the ruling party top brass is: Forget most of them, whether at least a handful of them will be able to emerge victorious?

There are multiple reasons and doubts for such a feeling to pervade among all those who matter in the corridors of power under the present dispensation. Probably it’s a strange situation the ruling party has come across wherein it needs to register victory at least in eight out of the 15 constituencies to retain a simple majority.

The interesting noteworthy feature and paradoxical turn of circumstances this time around is that the ruling BJP must first win over its own party cadres and leaders much before it could formulate a game plan strategy of taking over the rivals on ground and political platforms.In a way it is a strange turnabout of consequences when the all along political foes have suddenly become pals to the loyalist cadre for whom working for the victory of the new turncoats has become a stumbling block in their thought process!
The piquant situation is such in a handful of constituencies that the BJP leaders and workers had been at the receiving end by the MLAs’ of the hitherto opposition parties’ leaders. For instance, in Hoskote under the purview of Bengaluru Rural district, MTB Nagaraj, former Congress MLA now BJP candidate is accused of victimising the RSS/BJP workers and leaders while in power as an MLA and Minister.

Sharat Bachhegowda, son of BN Bachhegowda, Chikkaballapur BJP Lok Sabha MP has rebelled in open against the induction of MTB Nagaraj to the party. He has been vocal more than enough to resist the entry of MTB Nagaraj into the party. However, political compulsions in the ruling party hardly gave any credence to the dissent voices within the party.Now the expected thing has taken place. Sharat Bachhegowda is into the electoral fray as an Independent candidate taking his father’s bete noire MTB Nagaraj head on. In the previous April 2018 general elections Sharat Bachhegowda as a BJP candidate had lost by 7,597 votes against MTB Nagaraj of the Congress.Interestingly the BJP Lok Sabha Member has failed to convince his son contesting against the new BJP candidate. To make things worsen further to MTB Nagaraj, a realtor who has declared assets worth Rs 1,015 crores, Padmavathi Suresh, wife of Hebbal Congress MLA Bhairathi Suresh is the Congress candidate.

MTB Nagaraj and Padmavathi Suresh belong to the Shepherd community while Sharat Bachhegowda is a Vokkaliga who are significant in numerical strength of the Assembly constituency. So whichever way you wish to ponder over the advantage looks to be towards the Independent candidate.

In Krishnarajapuram(K R Puram) constituency Bhairathi Basavaraj, another realtor doesn’t looks to have any such problems. N S Nandiesha Reddy who lost against the former as a BJP candidate in the previous elections has been successfully placated by being appointed as the Chairman of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

The candidature of Mahalakshmi Layout BJP candidate K Gopalaiah, formerly with the JD-S faced enough rough weather within the party cadres. N L Narendra Babu, former Congress MLA now with the BJP and S Harish, former Deputy Mayor of the Brahut Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) voiced their outbursts against the party choice. Thanks to the mediating efforts by a few ministers both these angry leaders have been mellowed down.

S T Somashekar doesn’t looks to have any major problems in Yeshwanthapura constituency. Film actor Jaggesh who switched over to the BJP from the Congress was given the party ticket at a later stage to contest from this constituency. However, the party has won him over and there is not much of voice against S T Somasekhar.

Narayangowda in Krishnarajpet (KR Pet) of Mandya district, a typical Vokkaliga belt seems to be sitting pretty with not much of dissidence evinced against his candidature. But it’s a paradoxical situation to A H Vishwanath, former state JD-S president at Hunsur constituency in Mysuru district. There seems to be enough opposition to his contest by the local cadres.This plight is no better in Ranebennur, Hirekerur and Gokak as well. Raju Kage, former Kagwad BJP MLA joined the Congress for failing to be re nominated as party candidate by the party.

To sum up the going looks to be an uphill task for all the defectors and disqualified legislators now putting a brave face as the ruling party nominees for the polls. Of course, as of now the process of nominations is on and still there is enough time for electioneering to gear up. Let us wait and watch?

-Manohar Yadavatti