Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 25: During the Lok Sabha election preparatory meeting of BJP held at the party's central office at Malleshwaram here on Monday December 24, the issue of selecting a candidate for the city (south) constituency gained prominence. During the meeting, many supported the candidature of Tejasvini Ananth Kumar in place of the former MP and minster who recently passed away. In case she is reluctant to accept the candidature, former deputy chief minister, R Ashok could be fielded from there, it was generally opined.

B S Yeddyurappa

At the meeting, which was presided by former chief minister, B S Yeddyurappa, several legislators and BBMP corporators came up with the suggestion that Tejasvini should be convinced to become the candidate in place of her deceased husband, and if she declines, either Ashok or Shobha Karandlaje should be fielded from the city (south) constituency.

Sources said that former chief minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, felt that the party lost the chance to govern the state on account of mistake committed by a few BJP leaders from Bengaluru. "As a union minister, I agree to this mistake. When the party had 40 MLAs, 12 of them were from the city. When our strength here had touched 18 or 20 when the party strengthen rose to 104, there was no need for us to seek anyone's support to form the government. As far as the city is concerned, individuals should never be given more importance to the detriment of the party. Irrespective of which leader is there, we need to sit and talk to them. We request Yeddyurappa to return to his previous self when he used to enter the election fray and issue orders. We should not have some other yardstick that is different from other places in the city. We can emerge as a dominant force in the city if Yeddyurappa assumes his previous aggressive nature," he reportedly told the gathering.