Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 2: After BJP candidate in the Ramanagara Assembly bye-poll withdrew his nomination on November 1, the BJP has written to Election Commission of India to postpone the polls for the seat and demanded strict action against its candidate L Chandrashekar.

However, it’s unlikely the polls scheduled on November 3rd will be postponed or revoked, says a highly placed source from Election Commission of India.

Just two days before the bye-poll, BJP’s candidate L Chandrashekar who is son of Congress MLC CM Lingappa shocked everyone by retiring from politics and extending support to Congress-JD(S) candidate Anita Kumaraswamy. He blamed BJP’s state president BS Yeddyurappa for his decision. “BSY’s lack of interest during campaigning forced me to call quits,” he said.

B S Yeddyurappa

Meanwhile, the ECI source said that withdrawal from polls by a candidate after the official withdrawal date, which was October 20 for Ramanagara bye-polls, is considered unofficial. Chandrashekar’s name as well as symbol will be in the EVMs, he said.

When queried about BJP’s national general secretary of SC Morcha Chi Na Ramu, writing to ECI to postpone polls, the official said that ECI has not released any official intimation and hence elections being countermanded, is highly unlikely.

While Ramanagara is a JD(S) bastion with Kumaraswamy having four straight wins since 2004, analysts have predicted that BJP does not stand a chance, especially after Congress too is supporting JD(S).