The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the State in the next two days, sources in the party said.
BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, speaking to media persons on Tuesday, said that all 28 seats in Karnataka were discussed at length at the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in New Delhi on Monday night. “The BJP high command will likely announce the list of candidates for the State in a day or two,” he said. When quizzed about seats being allotted to alliance partner JD(S), Mr. Vijayendra said that alliance seats were also discussed and the high command would soon consult with the JD(S) leadership and finalise them.
Sources said JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy was scheduled to go to New Delhi for talks on Tuesday, but his trip was put off due to developments in Haryana keeping the BJP’s Central leadership busy. He is now said to go to Delhi on Thursday.
The CEC meeting on Monday night was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, apart from a host of State BJP leaders. Apart from B.S. Yediyurappa and B.L. Santosh, who are CEC members, Mr. Vijayendra, R. Ashok, and Pralhad Joshi were among others present.
Some of the party ticket aspirants also met poll in-charge for Karnataka Radhamohan.
Speculations continue
Meanwhile, speculations about those missing out on ticket continued on Tuesday. Incumbent Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, who was visibly miffed with speculations that he would be denied ticket and Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar would be fielded from the seat, took potshots at Mr. Yaduveer.
BJP leader C.P. Yogeshwar told media persons in Ramanagara district that the name of C. Manjunath was sure to be announced as BJP-JD(S) coalition candidate from Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat. Describing Dr. Manjunath as an unanimous choice of both parties, Mr. Yogeshwar even predicted that he may go on to become a Union Minister.
