Karnataka Bypoll 2019: Not Roshan Baig, BJP fields M Saravana from Shivajinagar

Bengaluru, Nov 14: The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded former corporator from Ulsoor M Saravana from Shivajinagar constituency, denying ticket to Congress rebel Roshan Baig.

The senior congress leader rebelled against the party along with 13 other Congress and three JD(S) legislators resulting in the fall of the coalition government in Karnataka.

Reports cited "reservations" expressed by party leadership over Baig over inquiry in the IMA ponzi scam, as reasons for rejecting ticket to the Congress leader.

Baig landed in trouble when a ponzi scheme operative Mohammad Mansoor Khan, who allegedly duped thousands of people, mostly Muslims, accused him of taking Rs 400 crore from him and not returning it.

Baig rubbished Mansoor Khan's charge and called it a conspiracy against him by his adversaries.

Shivajinagar constituency, which has the 1.9 lakh muslim voters has mostly favoured leaders from the minority community.

The rebel Congress- JD(S) leaders who will contest from BJP ticets are: Mahesh Kumatalli, Srimanthagouda Patil, Ramesh Jarakiholi, Shivaram Hebbar, BC Patil, Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, Bhairathi Basavaraj, ST Somashekar, K Gopalaiah, MTB Nagaraj, KC Narayanagowda and H Vishwanath.

By-polls to 15 out of these 17 assembly seats which fell vacant following the disqualification of MLAS are scheduled on December 5 and candidates are required to file their nomination papers between November 11 and November 18.

The ruling BJP will need to win at least six out of those 15 seats to stay in power.

By-elections to Maski and R R Nagar constituencies have been withheld as separate cases with regard to them, are pending before the High Court.

Of the 15 constituencies, 12 were represented by Congress and three by JD(S).