Senior politician R. Roshan Baig, one of the disqualified MLAs who has been left stranded after the BJP blocked his entry into the party, will consult his well-wishers, supporters and councillors from Shivajinagar before taking a call on what next.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Mr. Baig said he has called a meeting on Saturday evening. “I will discuss with them on possible options and then take a call on whether I should contest as an Independent,” he said.
Stating that “sometimes things do not go as planned”, he said: “The community was ready to support me in this endeavour. But, things didn’t go as planned. My decision will now depend on the opinion of well-wishers and supporters.”
Meanwhile, his son Ruman Baig has been sending out messages to councillors and Mr. Baig’s supporters to assemble at Shams Convention Centre on Haines Road in Fraser Town on Saturday at 8 p.m., followed by dinner.
Sources close to Mr. Baig said he was upset that he had become a “scapegoat” in the tussle between Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and B.L. Santosh, BJP national general secretary (organisation). “Former MLA Nirmal Kumar Surana, who is in the good books of Mr. Santosh, has prevented his entry into the BJP. Mr. Baig had defeated Mr. Surana twice in Shivajinagar,” claimed a close confidant.
Also, it is learnt that several “seniors” within the BJP in Shivajinagar are unhappy that former councillor M. Sharvana had been fielded from here. “These BJP seniors have expressed their support to Mr. Baig, if he contests as an Independent. However, everything depends on who the Congress candidate is,” sources said.
Tabu’s name doing the rounds
Sources in the Congress said the party is considering fielding Tabu, wife of KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, from Shivajinagar. While Ms. Tabu said she is reluctant to contest, the party feels she stands a good chance to win.
Her name did the rounds during the recent Lok Sabha polls too. There were reports that the Congress wanted to field her to checkmate the BJP in central Bengaluru against sitting MP P.C. Mohan.
The party, which is yet to announce the second list of seven candidates for the bypolls, is likely to delay the announcement of candidate for Shivajinagar till the last moment, sources said.
