BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing internal strife in several constituencies where the sitting MLAs were denied tickets for the upcoming election. Some of the disgruntled BJP leaders have even decided not to take part in the election campaign.
The BJP dropped many sitting MLAs this time and has had given tickets to new faces, but the party bosses are keeping track of the rebellion by incumbent MLAs. About 23 sitting MLAs were denied tickets and of them, 7-8 are contesting against the BJP after joining other political parties. In some of the constituencies, the leaders who were denied tickets are not showing much interest in the campaign.
Amid this, the party faces the challenge of ensuring the victory of its candidates as it apprehends that some BJP leaders who have remained quiet after being denied tickets may act against its interests.
The party plans to win such constituencies where there is simmering discontent by giving special priority and forming a strategy to calm ruffled feathers. This time around, 23 sitting MLAs were denied tickets and seven of them are now opponents of the BJP candidates.
Neharu Olekar is contesting from the JD(S) in from Haveri while Jagadish Shettar joined the Congress and is contesting from the Hubli-Dharwad constituency. Ayanur Manjunath is contesting from Shivamogga as a JD(S) candidate while Madal Mallikarjun, son of Madal Virupaksha, is an independent candidate from Channagiri. M P Kumaraswamy is contesting from Mudigere as a JD(S) candidate while Arun Kumar Putthila is contesting as an Independent from Puttur and Gulihatti Shekhar an independent candidate from Hosadurga.
The party high command has also tasked former CM B S Yediyurappa and CM Basavaraj Bommai to placate the disgruntled leaders and persuade the rebels to withdraw their nomination papers by April 24, which is the last day to do so.
The BJP is also worried because it is facing opposition in at least 20 constituencies. The high command has told Yediyurappa and Bommai that even the rebellion can be tackled in 50 per cent of the constituencies, the party stands a good chance at the hustings.