April 10,2013:
With barely a month to go for the polling, main players – BJP (140), Congress (177) and JDS (122) announced candidates for the assembly elections scheduled for May 5, 2013. However none of the political parties have announced their candidates for all 224 seats. Reason is very obvious- dissidence.
The ruling BJP had a chequered run in the last five years which saw three chief ministers in five years. Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and former minister Sriramulu have formed their own party and will further dent the BJP’s prospects.
The saffron party is being saddled with anti-incumbency factor and desertion of some 30 MLAs. Internal bickering and allegations of scams during its tenure make the ruling BJP look battered.
Amidst all odds, BJP declared a list of 140 candidates for Karnataka today. 80 sitting MLAs of the 82 in these constituencies have been given tickets this time. The party is fielding young candidates to improve its prospects with 122 of the names declared being around 40 years of age.
Compared to other parties BJP list has not created much trouble in the party. The fact that well known loyalists of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa -Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, V Somanna –contesting from the party has lifted the morale of the party leaders to some extent. They are of the opinion that people of the state will excuse their mistakes and are also planning to use the image of Gujarath Chief Minister to get as many seats possible.
On the other hand principal opposition Congress, appearing to put up a united front to dislodge the BJP government, is also in not a happy position either, as the flood of ticket aspirants has led to a wave of dissidence in its wake.
Some poll surveys in recent weeks claimed the Congress is all set to form the next Government. Obviously, Congress tickets are much sought after and aspirants lobbied hard. Most of the names cleared by the party high command are largely non-controversial. However it has already created ripples in the party. Those who lost out are crying foul.
But the list for the remaining seats expected this week – last day for filing nominations is April 17 — is eagerly awaited, mainly because it would throw light on whether the parties have given tickets to the tainted, kin of party leaders and defectors.
Senior Congress leaders M Mallikarjuna Kharge and N Dharam Singh are pushing for poll tickets for their sons, while K H Muniyappa is pushing for the candidature of his daughter. B K Shivaram, brother of B K Hariprasad, Rehman, grandson of Jaffer Sharief, and Ali Khan, son of Union Minister K Rahman Khan.Senior politician Shamnoor Shivashankarappa and his son Mallikarjun are both waiting for tickets.
JDS which wanted to fish in the troubled water had decided to take advantage of the situation. However its performance in the urban local body election was not so good. Following which the party leaders have adopted wait and watch strategy.
The party has released the names of 126 candidates so far. However, the party has not yet come out with the candidates of Hassan district- the home turf of Gowda clan. While Bhavani wife of H D Revanna is said to be an aspiring candidate for Belur constituency, Deve Gowda is said to be against it. On the other hand Revanna is also said to be keen in changing his constituency following an advice from a jyothishi (fortune teller). Congress has fielded a lady candidate –Anupama G S from the constituency.
Mean while dissidence has erupted in the party following release of candidate list. While Munegowda an aspirant from Doddaballapur, alleged that, state unit president of the party-H D Kumaraswamy has sought Five crore rupee to allocate ticket, another aspirant Chandranna of Devanahalli has warned the party leaders of quitting the party with supporters.
While the 2008 polls were largely a triangular affair with BJP, Congress and JDS slugging it out, the presence of Yeddyurappa’s Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) and, to less extent, the BSR Congress of former BJP Minister B Sriramulu is making the poll scene this time hazy.
Most of the BJP MLAs who jumped the ruling party ship have joined forces with Karnataka Janata Party but the decision of key ministers – Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, Basavaraja Bommai and V Somanna who were in the Yeddyurappa camp, to stay put in the BJP is seen as a setback to Yeddyurappa.
Besides seeking to position himself as a ‘king-maker’ in the post-poll scenario, Yeddyurappa has vowed to decimate the BJP, which at this stage looks to be on the backfoot, saddled as it is with
Though the party has released 3 lists so far, the party neither has of strong candidates nor good number of workers.
The situation of other parties like BSR party, BSP and the left party is no better. As a result none of the political party is confident enough to carry out intensive campaigning. Probably the situation may improve once the candidates file their nomination papers.
