Bengaluru: As many as 15 assembly segments in the state are going for by-polls and this has left the ruling BJP on its toes. The BJP government led by CM BS Yediyurappa required six out of the 15 seats to remain in power and the BJP house is abuzz with activities to achieve this target.
Chief Minister BSY has reported called a BJP State Unit Core Committee meeting on Wednesday evening at 6 pm to discuss the poll strategies.
The meeting will be attended by core committee members including party state unit president Nalin Kumar, BL Santosh, Jagadish Shetttar and others. The meeting is expected to finalize the party’s probable candidates for the upcoming by-election.
“One of the major issues which will be come for discussion is pacifying the original leaders of the party who are expected to pose a threat to the migrants. For example in Hosakote, Sharat Bachchegowda is not ready to allow party ticket to MTB Nagaraj. Such issues will be discussed,” said a party leader.
As many as 17 MLAs were disqualified by the then Speaker of the Assembly Ramesh Kumar for shifting loyalties. This led to the collapse of the ruling coalition government of the Congress and the JDS. The disqualified MLAs knocked the doors of the judiciary for justice, seeking to squash the ban on them from contesting polls.
The 15 seats will go to polls on October 21, while the votes will be counted on October 24. The last date for completing the elections is October 27. The last date for filing nominations for the by-elections is September 30. The constituencies going to polls are Gokak, Athani, Ranebennur, Kagwad, Hirekerur, Yellapur, Yeshwanthpura, Vijayanagara, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Hunsur, Krishnarajpet, Mahalakshmi Layout, KR Pura and Chikballapura. However, by-polls to RR Nagar, the seat of former Congress MLA Munirathna, and Maski, the constituency of former Congress MLA Pratapgouda Patil are yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
The strength of the Karnataka Assembly will be 222 after the bye-polls. The BJP presently has the support of 106 MLAs including independent MLA H Nagesh. The party will need to win six out of the 15 seats to get to the majority mark in the Assembly.
