Haveri: The game plan of the JDS is giving sleepless nights to the BJP and the Congress. The party that changed its candidates in Mahalakshmi Layout and Chikkaballapur by-polls has now done the same in Hirekeruru constituency as well.
November 18 is the last date to file nominations for the by-polls and on Sunday late night, the JDS high command changed the candidate in Hirekeruru. The party had issued a ticket to Ujinappa earlier and now it has roped in Rattihalli Kabbinakanthi Mutt seer Shivalinga Shivacharya. The seer, who has filed his nomination papers on Monday will take on BJP’s BC Patil and BS Bannikoda of the Congress.
Earlier, it was said that the fight will be only between the BJP and the Congress and that the JDS was insignificant. However, the decision of the JDS to change the candidate has now left the BJP and the Congress worried.
Though the rumours of the seer contesting the polls on JDS ticket had been making rounds, it all died down when the JDS announced that Ujinappa will be its candidate for the polls. Further, it is also said that the Seer himself was not sure about entering the political arena. Now that the see is in the fray, the BJP and the Congress has reasons to be worried.
Fielding the seer has many targets to hit. Firstly, the JDS wants to divide the Veerashaiva-Lingayat votes in this constituency, which has been a Congress stronghold. Secondly, the JDS wants to teach a lesson to Congress rebel leader BC Patil, who shifted loyalty along with 16 other rebel MLAs and thus became a major factor for the collapse of the JDS-Congress coalition government.
Responding to the decision of the JDS to field the Seer against him, Patil said that he had given his consent twice to make Kumaraswamy the CM of the state. “However, if HDK thinks that these strategies will work, I must tell him that it is the voter who will either choose me or reject me. HDK is immaterial,” he said.
BC Patil submitted his nomination on Monday at 11 am in presence of Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Shivakumar Udasi, BY Raghavendra, UB Banakar and Kumar Bangarappa.
It is also said that the BJP is making all possible efforts to convince the seer to withdraw his nominations as him contesting will lead to the division of votes.
