The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking forward to a second innings in the State. “We are confident of winning anywhere between 120 and 150 seats in Assembly elections,” Agriculture Minister Umesh V. Katti said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to presspersons soon after addressing a party workers’ meeting here, he said the Bombay-Karnataka region consisting of 57 Assembly constituencies played a significant role in bringing the BJP to power in the last elections by electing 38 MLAs. This time, the party was confident of winning at least 45 seats.
Eleven of the 18 MLAs in Belgaum district belonged to the BJP. This year, BJP would increase its tally to at least 15, he said.
On whether senior leader from Belgaum and Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar Kore was included in the National Executive Committee to win over the Lingayats and see that they do not align themselves with Karnataka Janata Paksha president B.S. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Katti said: “Lingayats supported BJP in the last elections and will do so this time as well.”
On Yeddyurappa
To a question, he said that he still held Mr. Yeddyurappa in high esteem because of his leadership qualities. On the reports that KJP leaders were planning to defeat him in the Assembly elections, he said: “I welcome even Mr. Yeddyurappa contesting against me.”
Mr. Katti categorically stated that no outsider would be given the party ticket to contest the Assembly elections, at least in Belgaum district. On reports that Sri Rama Sene leader Pramod Muthalik was planning to contest as BJP candidate from Belgaum North, he said the people of Belgaum district were peace-loving. The party would field only loyal party leaders and workers.
As of now, the party had tentatively decided to re-nominate all the 11 sitting MLAs and ticket would be given to loyal party leaders to contest from the remaining seven constituencies in the district.
