Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)

Udupi, May 4: In a jolt to the district BJP, as many as 25 members of Kundapur BJP unit on Friday May 4 resigned from the party, apparently unhappy with ticket allotment to Halady Srinivas Shetty from Kundapur constituency.

Among those who resigned were former president of Belve gram panchayat B Uday Kumar Poojary and Muchettu gram panchayat president Rajiv Kulal

They met Udupi BJP district secretary Kuthyar Naveen Shetty and submitted their resignations from the primary membership of the party.

They said that they decided to resign as they were unhappy with Halady Srinivas Shetty being given the BJP ticket from Kundapur.

"After the last elections when Halady contested and won as independent candidate, he had filed a false complaint against BJP workers in Belve and Machettu. Even though he has been the MLA of Kundapur for several years, the constituency has not seen much development under him. Rural areas still lack basic amenities like roads. Title deeds have not been given to beneficiaries, and he has failed to respond to the problems of the people. He even contested as a rebel, but the party still chose him," they said.

"We are pained by the ticket allotment to Halady Srinivas Shetty, hence we are resigning from the primary membership of the party," they said.

The clarified that they would not be joining any other party. "We will hold discussions with the people of Kundapur and decide on the future course of action," they said.

It may be recalled that soon after Halady's candidature was announced, several BJP members and local leaders resigned from the party.