Belagavi: Former Dy Chief Minister rebels, upset at not bagging ticket

Belagavi: Following the first list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections announced by BJP on 11 April, the former Deputy Chief Minister, Laxman Savadi has decided to quit the BJP. His disappointment came after he lost the BJP ticket from Athani assembly constituency in Belagavi District to a candidate who recently jumped from Congress to BJP.

BJP in its first list announced the Athani ticket to Mahesh Kumathalli who was the Congress rival of Laxman in the 2018 assembly elections. Savadi had served as an MLA three times in Athani constituency but lost to Kumathalli in 2018.

Kumathalli was however, instrumental in the fall of Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) coalition government after he joined BJP. Kumathalli then participated in forming the Yediyurappa led State Government in 2019.

With this history with Kumathalli, Savadi seems to be heavily disappointed that the BJP let Kumathalli take the cake. Kumathalli is also the sitting MLA of Athani and is considered to be a close aide of former minister and Gokak ticket winner, Ramesh Jarkiholi.

In a media interaction, Savadi said, "I will be resigning from the BJP's primary membership. I have made this decision. On Thursday evening, I will make a very important decision and work towards it from Friday."

It is clear that the BJP was looking for the strongest candidate to field from Athani constituency and it looks like the party found Kumathalli to be the fittest. While the Congress has not announced a candidate in Athani yet, there are speculations that Savadi could join Congress and maybe get a ticket.

The dissatisfaction over the BJP's seat matrix has been felt across the state. The former MLA and minister KS Eshwarappa has also announced his retirement from politics in Shivamogga while the six times MLA S Angara and a presently a minister from Sullia SC reserved constituency has also followed suit. Similarly a tall Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar has also come close to announcing retirement after denial of ticket from the party. But however in his case things are likely to be worked out at the national level as he has been

called to Delhi.