B. Sriramulu, State BJP vice-president, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, afraid of losing the election in his home constituency, was keen on contesting from Badami in Bagalkot district.
“Chief Minister Siddramaiah is under a grip of fear of losing the election on his home turf and is planning to contest from a second constituency (Badami). As a Chief Minister for a full five year term, if he is not confident of winning from his home constituency, how can he expect the Congress to win more number of seats in the State and come to power,” he questioned, and added that BJP would come to power in the State.
Mr. Sriramulu, who accompanied Raghavendra, BJP’s candidate from Sandur, to file his nomination here on Friday, was responding to questions by presspersons.
When asked about the possibility of BJP fielding him against Mr. Siddaramaiah in Badami, Mr. Sriramulu said that it was for the party to take a decision.
Mr. Sriramulu said that N.Y. Gopalkrishna, Congress MLA from Ballari (Rural), had tendered his resignation and joined the BJP officially. In all probability, he would be fielded as the party candidate in Kudligi (ST) in Ballari district. He said sincere efforts were being made to pacify ticket aspirants in Kudligi and Sandur Assembly segments, over not being fielded in the current election. “We are confident that all aspirants will support the party candidate,” he said.
On Karthik Ghorpade, scion of the Ghorpade royal family in Sandur, joining the party and also taking the lead in the ongoing election, Mr. Sriramulu said it had added enormous strength to the party and had increased the confidence of party workers of emerging victorious in the Congress-dominated Sandur constituency.
