Minister for Excise M.P. Renukacharya has blamed the “dictatorial attitude of the leaders” in the Sangh Parivar and the BJP for the party’s debacle in the recent elections to the urban local bodies in the State.
“I am a disciplined solider of the party. But leaders in the organisation denied ‘B’ forms to party candidates having mass support,” said Mr. Renukacharya, who had earlier identified himself with the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s camp. The party and the Sangh Parivar leaders deliberately denied ticket to candidates who have mass base for the elections, he said. “Candidates claiming the support of 10 people at the gram panchayat level have been given ticket to contest the elections,” he added.
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The party lost power in several ULBs also due to the absence of Mr. Yeddyurappa, whose Karnataka Janata Party candidates won in many districts. “The absence of Mr. Yeddyurappa was a major set-back to the BJP,” he said. The BJP could have won more seats in the elections if the former Chief Minister had campaigned for the party, Mr. Renukacharya said.
Apparently referring to RSS leaders, the Minister said: “I am pained by the dictatorial attitude of the leaders in the organisation. The BJP will be paying a heavy price if the leaders did not change their attitude during selection of candidates for the Assembly elections.” “All candidates will not win elections on the basis of a party’s symbol. Candidates need peoples’ support to win elections,” he said.
The Minister said that he would speak on the issue of insult meted out him during the selection of candidates in his constituency during a two-day meeting of the party scheduled from Friday. The State unit of the BJP would discuss the party’s poor show in the elections by holding consultations with the party’s district unit office-bearers at the meeting. Whether he would contest the Assembly elections on a KJP ticket, Mr. Renukacharya said, “I am in the BJP now.”
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