Jayanagar is gearing up for the polls on June 11, but the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to chose its candidate as there are many contenders within the party.
The polls to the constituency were countermanded following the sudden demise of former MLA and BJP candidate B.N. Vijaykumar.
While the BJP leadership is said to be leaning towards giving ticket to Vijaykumar’s brother Prahlad Babu, three other contenders — former Mayor S.K. Nataraj, former councillor C.K. Ramamurthy, and Byrasanra councillor N. Nagaraju — are now trying to convince leaders to give one of them the party B-form.
Sources said that former Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok has been entrusted with the responsibility of finalising the candidate. A meeting that was scheduled on Monday to decide on the same was reportedly postponed. Sources said the meeting will now be held depending on the availability of Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
Mr. Nataraj told The Hindu that the party leadership had failed to take them (the seven councillors) into confidence. “Without discussing the matter with us, the party leadership promised ticket to Mr. Babu. This is unjust, as we (councillors) know the ground reality and have been the face of the party. Mr. Babu has not worked even for a single day for the party,” he said.
He said the same had been conveyed to the party’s former city president Subbanna. “If the party is giving ticket to Mr. Babu in hope of getting sympathy votes, it is erring. We have decided not to work for the candidate’s victory if the party denies either one of us the ticket,” he said.
The other candidates in the fray include Soumya Reddy (Congress) and Ravikrishna Reddy (Independent).
Polls to R.R. Nagar
The polls to Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency, which were postponed after over 9,000 voter ID cards were found in an apartment in Jalahalli, will be held on May 28. The poll officials claimed that over 92% of the cards, voters’ slips, and guidebooks had been distributed to eligible voters in the constituency
