Vijayapura: “I am making it categorically clear that I will not campaign for the BJP candidate of Vijayapura City Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. No matter what, in no case I will campaign for Yatnal, however I am available to campaign for other candidates of the party in the District.”
This was the clear announcement made by Former BJP MLA Appu Pattanshetty who is also the bête noire of Yatnal.
Addressing media persons on Friday April 21 to clear the speculation about his next political move, he said that he has decided to stay with the party and will campaign for the party’s candidates, except Yatnal.
“Yatnal has kept me and my supporters completely away from the campaign. Since he does not need me or my supporters for the campaign, then there is certainly no need for me too to campaign for him”, he declared.
Pattanshetty claimed that he has been invited by the BJP candidates of other seven other Assembly segments of the District where he plans to campaign.
Admitting that he has been hurt because of the denial of the ticket by the party despite making several attempts, he said that he held a meeting of his supporters to decide on his future course of action of the denial of the ticket.
“During the meeting, the supporters proposed multiple options that includes contesting as an independent candidate or by joining any other party. But brooding for long, I decided to take the decision to stay in the party despite being hurt for the denial of the ticket work for the party candidates other than Yatnal,” he said.
Asked about his response to the decision of the Banajiga community, to which he belongs, not to vote for Yatnal in the election, Pattanshetty said that it is the decision of the community, which he neither supports nor opposes.
“I actually never play the caste politics as I have always believed in inclusive politics, but today caste politics has turned into reality. It is natural for the community leaders to get hurt when the political party denies ticket to the aspirant of their community”, he said.
