The surprise factor in BJP’s Karnataka list & how Yeddy had his way

The BJP released its first list of 189 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections 2023 to be held on May 10.

There have been many surprises in the list, which also includes a double contest for sitting MLAs, V Somanna and R Ashoka, which has been aimed at pinning dow Congress stalwarts, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar.

OneIndia caught up with leading psephologist, Dr. Sandeep Shastri to discuss the list and what implications it could have on the BJP's prospects in these crucial elections.

The second seat:

Somanna and Ashok, two seasoned BJP leaders will be contesting from Chamarajanagar and Padmanabhanagar. In addition to this Somanna will take on Siddaramaiah at Varuna, while Ashoka will be up against Shivakumar in Kanakapura.

Dr. Shastri asks if the fight is just symbolic or is there a message. Both these leaders have been allowed a second seat, which makes me ask if the fight is just symbolic in nature. The same question was asked when Siddaramaiah was trying to contest from a second seat in Kolar. Similar questions were raised when H D Kumaraswamy had contested from two seats in the 2018 elections, Dr. Shastri said.

"If you were to ask me if the two Congress leaders would be perturbed by this decision, then I would not think so. Both leaders have people to work in their respective constituencies and in my view they would continue to tour the state and campaign for the party," he also said.

Keeping the senior leaders out:

The BJP has also not given tickets to former chief minister, Jagadish Shettar and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa.

"Eshwarappa has taken it in the right spirit. What has been the behind the room deal, needs to be seen. In the case of Eshwarappa it is easier to explain, why he has been denied a ticket. He is 74 years old and is going to cross 75 soon," Dr. Shastri said.

With Shettar who is in his 60s, the explanation would be hard to give, he added. " One must remember that he had refused to join the Bommai government stating that is senior. This may have not gone down too well with the party. That slight show of defiance may have cost him the ticket," Dr. Shastri said,.

He also added, " Shettar said that he will contest the elections. On the other hand Laxman Savadi is said to be in talks with the Congress after being denied a ticket. If the BJP wants to retain its Lingayat base, then these developments could prove to be an irritant. Shettar has been a chief minister, a senior minister and has remained a loyalist. We need to see if the BJP is willing to deal with a rebellion."

The surprise:

A large number of seats in Dakshina Kannada are seeing new faces this year. S Anagara from Sullia has been denied a ticket this year.

Dr. Shastri says, " it has happened in Udupi, Sullia, Kundapur and Kapu. Either they have expressed their desire to retire or the party wants a change. Is the party trying to beat anti-incumbency or do they want fresh faces. There was a backlash following the murder of BJP leader, Praveen Nettaru. Has the party factored in all these aspects? The change that has happened in Dakshina Kannada according to me is the most significant part of the BJP's list."

The Yediyurappa factor:

When the list was being discussed, there was talk that Yediyurappa was unhappy and he had returned from Delhi to Bengaluru abruptly. However going by the list, it appears that a the senior BJP leader has had his way.

Dr. Shastri says, "giving his son, B Y Vijayendra a ticket in itself is a huge concession. This, given the fact that the central leadership of the party says that the children of leaders should not get a seat automatically. In the case of Yediyurappa, one son is an MP, while the other one has been given a ticket."

"In that sense when you look at it, Yediyurappa has had much of his way. The party is hoping that he puts in all his efforts," he says.

When asked if Yediyurappa may have had something to do with Shettar being denied a ticket, Dr. Sandeep Shastri says that he always had a grouse with Shettar as he feels that he did not stand by him. In 1999, when Yediyurappa had lost the elections, Shettar replaced him as the leader of the opposition. When Yediyurappa stepped down as chief minister and made Sadananda Gowda the CM, he was not backed by Shettar then. When Gowda was removed, Shettar was made the CM. Yediyurappa would have also expected loyalty from Shettar, when he had quit the BJP and formed the KJP."