All will work for Tejasvi's victory in B'lore South: Yeddyurappa

Amid resentment within the Karnataka BJP on selection of candidate for the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said that party nominee Tejasvi Surya would win and every one will work towards it.

In a surprise move, the BJP has fielded party’s youth wing leader Surya from its bastion of Bangalore South from where the widow of union minister Ananth Kumar, a six-time MP from the constituency, was denied the ticket. However, V Somanna, a party MLA from Govindraj Nagar that falls under Bangalore South, has demanded clarity from Tejasvi Surya’s uncle, Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, on how Tejaswini missed the ticket.

“Lot of discussion has happened on this already, it is Delhi’s (party high command) decision, every one has accepted it and have begun their work. Tejasvi will hundred per cent win. Tejaswini has also expressed her support, there is no need to discuss about it again,” Yeddyurappa told reporters when questioned about Tejaswini not getting ticket.

Ending the suspense with just hours left for the deadline for filing of nominations for the first phase of polls in Karnataka, the BJP central leadership had announced the name of 28-year-old Surya, a lawyer.

The BJP’s Karnataka unit had proposed only Tejaswini Ananth Kumar’s name as candidate from Bangalore South. Tejaswini was confident about fighting the poll on a BJP ticket and had been preparing for it and had started a door-to-door campaign.

Tejasvi filed his nomination on Tuesday, even as Tejaswini’s supporters protested his candidacy. He filed his papers in the absence of several senior BJP MLAs from the constituency including R Ashoka and Somanna.

Terming Tejswini not getting ticket as “unfortunate” and that it should not have happened, Somanna blamed Ravi Subramanya for the “episode”, and demanded clarity on what really happened, before involving himself in party work, including campaigning.

He said he along with party legislators and leaders from Bangalore South, including former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka had unanimously proposed her name, which the state unit also had consented to. “What happened, why it happened is also a big question to me. When Ravi Subramanya called me, I have asked for clarity on what really happened,” Somanna said.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Tejaswini Ananth Kumar at her residence, Somanna, claiming to be a loyal soldier of the party, said “If one is taken for granted, it will be difficult as our future is also involved. “This has happened, it should not have happened, why it happened we have to know at least in between four walls.

As Ravi Subramanya is at its forefront, I have told him, let’s discuss it. Once the discussion happens we will also be relieved to perform our duties.” He said there was no problem in going for campaigning, but they wanted clarity, adding, he could not do something, while keeping something else in mind. “Let’s discuss this with high command, let this happen to no one else,” he said while pointing that he came to BJP under Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa.

Another senior BJP legislator Umesh Katti also expressed displeasure about Tejaswini not getting ticket. “Ananth Kumar built and nurtured the party for the last 40 years and he had given tickets to several people, when he is not there there is discussion about not giving ticket to his family. I feel that in the days to come party will have something good for them,” he said.

Tejaswini, however, has insisted that she remains loyal to the party and that she accepted the decision to ensure Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again. Bangalore South will go to polls on April 18.