Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Mar 8: Election Commission will announce the election dates for the 17th Lok Sabha anytime. Political parties are engaged in finalizing their candidates and trying to project the best of the lot in front of the voters. In the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP got a clear upper hand in Karnataka by winning 17 out of the 28 seats. However, since then the state leadership of BJP has failed to keep the same wave because of its immature political moves and unwanted controversies.

Back to back defeats in legislative assembly elections held for some important states in the last year, increased the worry of BJP’s national leadership and they planned to involve themselves directly in the party affairs of some states. As per the internal BJP sources, Amit Shah, the BJP chief, has formed a silent cell in the states where its leadership struggles to work as per party’s agenda. Karnataka is one of the states, where the party has strong roots but suffers due to poor leadership.

Shobha Karandlaje, Nalin Kumar Kateel, Pratap Simha

It is learnt that, without waiting for discussions with the state leadership, Amit Shah did a internal survey of the state, evaluated the current political scenario and party’s position at the booth level. Based on the internal survey, he has expressed his disappointment on five MPs out of the 17 and instructed the state president to review their winning possibilities and submit a report at the time of election meeting of state presidents.

As per the internal survey done by Amit Shah’s silent cell, Nalin Kumar Kateel from Dakshina Kannada constituency, Shobha Karandlaje from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Pratap Simha from Mysore-Kodagu, Ramesh Jigajinagi from Vijayapura, Suresh Angadi from Belagavi and Sanganna Karadi from Koppala are the sitting BJP MPs who are facing a huge opposition from the party cadres and it may lead to party’s defeat in these constituencies in the upcoming elections if they are given the party ticket this time also.

Sources inside the state BJP revealed that the party can convince the party workers of Mysuru, Belagavi and Vijayapura constituencies to work for the sitting MPs in the elections of this time also. But the situation in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi constituencies seems to be the worst because of the low rate of development and controversial working style of both the sitting MPs.

Ramesh Jigajinagi, Suresh Angadi, Sanganna Karadi

In Dakshina Kannada, the party workers received almost confirmation about Nalin Kumar’s ticket because the state leadership backs him. But majority of the party workers are not happy on his candidature. They still believe that, based on the internal survey by Amit Shah, the party will not give ticket to Nalin. Shobha Karandlaje is also facing a stiff opposition from her party members itself for contesting in the upcoming election. Some close BJP aides from Delhi also claim that Amit Shah has given approval to 12 names of sitting MPs. Five names, including Nalin Kumar and Shobha Karandlaje are put on hold. It is leant that Amit Shah is waiting for the report of second survey of his silent cell. 

It is also learnt that the current social media campaign by the party workers against the candidature of Nalin Kumar Kateel and Shobha Karandlaje, is a part of conveying the message to Amit Shah’s silent cell that both the MPs have failed to impress the party workers. At the same time, close aides of Nalin and Shobha, who have smelled the danger, are saying that some senior leaders of the party, who have bypassed the state leadership and interacted directly with the national leadership projected bad impression on them about the current MPs.

In Dakshina Kannada, the BJP party cadres opposing Nalin’s candidature have already started a campaign ‘Narendra Modi okay but Nalin Kumar Kateel yake?’. In Udupi, the anti-Shobha campaign is named ‘Go back Shobha’. Amit Shah’s silent cell, which is monitoring these developments closely, collects reports on daily basis on the happenings inside the party and its local leadership.

“As people representatives of Lok Sabha, contribution of Nalin Kumar and Shobha to their respective constituencies is a big zero. So we do not want to face this election over the issue of no-development. We want Modi to become the Prime Minister of India for the second time. So we are still backing BJP. As per my opinion, there are many educated and able youngsters in the party who are eligible for the party ticket. They are sincerely working for the party since many years. But Nalin and Shobha failed to strengthen the party,” says a local leader who wants to remain anonymous.

The sources of the party also hint that Amit Shah does not want to lose Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency at any cost. In his last meeting with state and district leaders, he seems to have given very clear instruction about it. He wants to make Dakshina Kannada as a main base of the party for both the states of Karnataka and Kerala. By this, he can easily get connected with party’s Kerala unit. So he has instructed to monitor the election activities of the Congress party also. Because the Congress is getting a tremendous support in the state of Kerala also, it is learnt that, Shah has given a clue that he can finalize the list of candidates of the party only after monitoring the candidates of the Congress party.

Rumours are making rounds within the party workers that Capt Brijesh Chowta, general secretary, BJP district committee is the front runner for the ticket in Dakshina Kannada, if Nalin Kumar is denied the ticket. Based on the survey of the silent cell, names of three probable candidates for the party ticket except Nalin is sent to the party leaders. 36-year-old,  ex-army, IIM MBA graduate, Capt Brijesh Chowta's name stands first in the list because majority of the party workers have projected him as a good administrator and a candidate acceptable to all communities and sections of the society.

Now, along with the state party leadership, entire party workers of the five constituencies are eagerly looking forward on the meeting between Amit Shah and B S Yeddyurappa, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 8, at New Delhi. It is not sure whether the party chief will finalize the list of candidates for the upcoming elections or not.