Udupi: BJP workers stand by Raghupati Bhat, demand his candidature again
Pics: Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Apr 4: BJP workers staged a protest on Thursday April 4 at Brahmavar demanding that MLA Raghupati Bhat be the party candidate for the forthcoming Assembly polls.
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After the sleaze CD issue cropped up, Bhat had declared that he would not participate in the election. Later, party members from Udupi urged him to change his decision. After a high drama at Bhat's residence, the workers once again staged a protest as a warning to senior leaders.
The protestors said that party workers will not support any candidate except Bhat. BJP members from 18 gram panchayats and members from Brahmavar local BJP committee have given a warning to the state leaders in this regard.
Addressing the gathering, BJP leader Vasanthy Shetty said that those who could not face Raghupati Bhat in the elections have used devious means to slander his name and keep him out of the polls. "The people have no problems with Bhat. He got Rs 450 crore sanctioned by the government and developed every nook and corner of Udupi, with indulging in corruption or playing politics. The party high command should consider his contribution and give him ticket again," he said.
Udupi rural Yuva Morcha president Mohan Shetty handed over a memorandum in this regard to BJP district president Udaykumar Shetty.
Udaykumar said that district BJP has no problems with Bhat standing for elections. Character assassination of a person will do no good to any party. He assured that he would convey the party workers' desire to see Bhat's candidature to the BJP leaders.
Local BJP leaders and workers were present.
In the midst of all this, the Pejawar Swamiji supported Bhat and stated that the CD is a fake and a thorough inquiry should be carried out. He added that the important fact that was being ignored was the development work done by Bhat in the district.
”An amount of Rs 4.5 crore had been used during his tenure. His political rivals could not digest his development work and they found a way to put him down and the fake CD is just an outcome of this. He should not bow his head to such people and he should be given a ticket and contest the election,” said the Swamiji.
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