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The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka is facing another rebellion, like the one by senior, now-suspended, leader KS Eshwarappa in Shivamogga during the Lok Sabha polls.
The 24-hour deadline set by the Karnataka unit directing rebel leader K Raghupati Bhat to withdraw his nomination as an independent candidate for the legislative council polls against BJP’s nominee Dr Dhananjay Sarji has elapsed. Bhat remains firm on his decision to contest even if the party takes disciplinary action against him.
“He has been served a show-cause notice and asked to withdraw within 24 hours. If he does not comply, he will be expelled. We expect every party member to behave as a disciplined worker and raise their concerns in appropriate fora. There is zero tolerance for such rebellious behaviour,” said BJP’s Karnataka state general secretary V Sunil Kumar to News18.
Bhat, on the other hand, has been actively campaigning for the South West Graduates constituency against Sarji, much to the annoyance of the BJP.
A three-time MLA from Udupi, Bhat was denied a ticket in the 2023 assembly polls. He was asked to step aside to make way for Yashpal Suvarna for the coastal Karnataka seat, which Suvarna won with the highest margin of votes in the state. One may recall that Suvarna was the face of the anti-hijab campaign in Karnataka during the peak of the assembly polls.
Sunil Kumar, who also hails from coastal Karnataka, was tasked by the BJP to convince Bhat to stand down and withdraw his nomination papers. However, the efforts by the leader seem to have hit a dead end as Bhat has dug his heels in and refuses to budge from his decision.
“I have not received any notice yet. When I do, I will put across my arguments as to what led to my decision. I have worked for over 38 years for the party, have been an MLA, and have also faced dejection when I was denied a ticket twice. Yet, this stand that I am taking is a different one. The ticket for the South West Graduates constituency should not have been given to a candidate who joined the party just a year ago,” said Bhat, adding that there were more deserving senior leaders who could have been chosen over Sarji for the seat.
Speaking over the phone during his campaign in Madikeri, Bhat said that he had spent more than three decades in the BJP and had carried out his responsibilities as a sincere party worker.
“I will bare my mind to the disciplinary committee when they call me. I am at least happy that I have ignited the debate that there were more deserving BJP seniors who deserved this ticket. I am sure of my win as well,” Bhat told News18.
Attacking the present BJP candidate, Bhat said when Bajrang Dal activist Harsha Nagaraj was murdered in the Doddapete area of Shivamogga city on February 20, 2022, Sarji had participated in a procession along with Communist Party workers. Sarji, a doctor by profession from Shivamogga, countered the allegation, saying he had participated in a peace walk through his Sarji Foundation as he was close to the family of Harsha.
Bhat also claims that this election is not based on any poll symbol.
“This election is not one that will lead to the formation of a government or decide whether Modi ji will be the next PM. I have extended my full support and worked selflessly then. This is a fight for justice and honour of our senior BJP leaders,” Bhat said. “If by this fight of mine, a karyakarta who deserves to be given a ticket is considered, I will see that as a bigger win.”
Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar also rebelled and quit the BJP, saying that the party had disrespected his leadership by denying him a nomination in the 2023 assembly elections. He joined the Congress in April 2023 and got a ticket to contest the polls from the Hubballi constituency. Shettar lost the election, but later the Congress made him an MLC. Within nine months he returned to the BJP and was given the Belagavi Lok Sabha ticket.
On the question of what he would do if he is removed from the party, Bhat says he is confident that the BJP will consider his request.
“If leaders like Jagadish Shettar, who was dismissed from the BJP, were later taken back within a year, why would it be different for me? I am only showing the party the right path,” Bhat said.
The Karnataka BJP has been facing rebellion for some time now. Leaders like KS Eshwarappa contested against BJP’s MP candidate BY Raghavendra in Shivamogga in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Another senior BJP leader who was denied a ticket in Tumkur, JC Madhuswamy, refused to campaign for the NDA candidate V Somanna in the constituency.
The BJP initially announced candidates in five legislative council seats; however, later, as part of its alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular), it had to concede the South Teachers’ seat to its partner. The South West Graduates constituency, along with South Teachers, are among the two constituencies where the BJP-JD(S) coalition has been facing an open rebellion over the choice of candidates.
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