BJP faces discontent in Belagavi district after releasing list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections

In Ramdurg, supporters gathered outside the residence of MLA Mahadevappa Yadawad, and shouted slogans against the BJP. They said that Mr Yadawad is a senior leader who is respected by all, and that there was no reason to drop his name.

BJP is facing discontent and possible rebellion in some Assembly constituencies in Belagavi district as the names of two sitting MLAs and some other aspirants did not figure in the list of party candidates released on April 11 for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled on May 10.

Followers of Belagavi North MLA Anil Benake held a protest at Rani Channamma Circle in Belagavi on April 12. They shouted slogans against the BJP. The BJP high command has chosen Ravi Patil, a Panchamasali Lingayat leader, to replace Mr Benake, a Maratha.

“Denying a ticket to Mr Benake amounts to insulting the Maratha community. We will not keep quiet. We will make sure that the BJP suffers a defeat in all the 18 constituencies in the district,’‘ said Ankush Aurwadkar, a booth pramukh of the BJP. He said that party workers would persuade Mr Benake to contest as an independent, and work for his victory.

Some sat in a dharna outside the house of Mangala Angadi, member of Parliament, and shouted slogans against the BJP. They demanded an answer from her about the choice of Dr Patil instead of Mr Benake. She responded that the choice of candidates was made by the party high command based on its ideology and some internal rules set up by the party election committee.

Some party workers had organised a snap strike in front of Mr Benake’s house on April 11 night.

BJP sources are citing three possible reasons for the party’s decision to drop Mr Benake. First, he had got considerably low marks in two surveys conducted by the BJP — one in September 2022 and another in February 2023. The surveys indicated that Mr Benake’s popularity had come down, and that he could lose if nominated. Second, he had opposed the statement of some Hindutva leaders who had called for a ban on Muslim traders in local fairs. Third, Mr Benake had not supported the call for excavation in a mosque in the old city area after Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil alleged that the mosque was built on the debris of a Hanuman temple.

Around 80 supporters of Sanjay Patil, former MLA and Belagavi Rural district president, resigned from the primary membership of the BJP after the party chose Nagesh Munnolkar, former president of Hindalga gram panchayat, as its nominee in Belagavi Rural constituency, against Congress MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar.