BJP’s Ashoka defends NDA decision to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Channapatna bypoll

BENGALURU: Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, has defended the NDA’s decision to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy as the candidate for the Channapatna Assembly bypoll, stating that Congress workers are upset since INDIA bloc candidate from Channapatna, C P Yogeshwar, is not a ‘Congressman’.

Ashok said, “Yogeshwar is not a Congressman, so Congress party workers are very upset regarding this issue. Therefore, people will vote for NDA. We gave the opportunity to Yogeshwar, but he refused. We then decided (for Nikhil Kumaraswamy). It is a good decision”.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is also the JD (S) state youth wing president, will be contesting against C P Yogeshwar, who joined the Congress on Wednesday after resigning as BJP MLC on Monday.

#WATCH | On NDA candidate from Channapatna Assembly bypoll Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Assembly LoP R Ashok says, “…Yogeshwar is not a Congressman so Congress party workers are very upset regarding this issue. Therefore people will vote for NDA. We gave the opportunity to… pic.twitter.com/6GGtER8fc9

— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2024

Notably, H D Kumaraswamy defeated Yogeshwar in the 2018 and 2023 Assembly polls from the seat. The seat fell vacant after Kumaraswamy won from the Mandya parliamentary segment in the last Lok Sabha polls. The announcement was made by former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa during a press conference.

Yediyurappa also expressed confidence that the alliance would win all three seats in the upcoming bypolls. “We have announced Nikhil Kumaraswamy as NDA candidate. We are going to win all three seats… We are announcing, with the blessings of the high command leaders, that we field him. We’ll meet after we win 100 per cent…I don’t speak about who left the party; we will do whatever is required to make sure Nikhil Kumaraswamy wins”, he said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: NDA fields JDS State Youth Unit President & Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Channapatna bypoll. pic.twitter.com/Suy8pj2Ad9

— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2024

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy added, “Finally, we have decided, with the blessings of B S Yediyurappa and other leaders of both parties, to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy as a candidate. This was not my decision or opinion. Our party workers pressured him (to contest bypoll) and we took this decision”, he said.

Following the announcement, Nikhil Kumaraswamy said, “I have been touring panchayat headquarters in my constituency and that is only because Kumaraswamy ji said that we should take all the workers and leaders into confidence. I have been doing my work as a Karyakarta and with the recent political developments that have taken place, the NDA has given me an opportunity. I have a lot of confidence in the Channapatna constituency people. They will bless me”.

Voting for the first phase, covering 47 Assembly constituencies and the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala will take place on November 13. The second phase will occur on November 20 for the Kedarnath Assembly constituency in Uttarakhand and the Nanded parliamentary seat in Maharashtra. The counting of votes will take place on November 23. (ANI)