Dharwad BJP faces dissent; one quits party, another ready with letter

The release of the first list of candidates for the four Assembly segments in Dharwad district has led to dissent among strong aspirants for BJP ticket in Dharwad, Kundgol and Hubballi-Dharwad East constituencies resulting in one leader resigning from the party’s primary membership and another ready with his resignation letter.

The release of the first list of candidates for the four Assembly segments in Dharwad district has led to dissent among strong aspirants for BJP ticket in Dharwad, Kundgol and Hubballi-Dharwad East constituencies resulting in one leader resigning from the party’s primary membership and another ready with his resignation letter.

Taking strong exception to the party’s decision to give sitting MLA Amrut Desai a second chance to contest, chairman of Karnataka Bayaluseme Development Board Tavanappa Ashtagi who was an aspirant for party ticket from Dharwad Rural constituency has tendered his resignation to the primary membership of the party.

Announcing his decision to quit the party on Wednesday, Mr. Ashtagi displayed his resignation letter before media persons and said that he has quit the chairmanship as well as the primary membership of the party.

Mr. Ashtagi, who belongs to the Jain community, accused Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of meting out injustice to Jain community.

“In 2018, I had worked for Amrut Desai’s victory. Now that he is facing anti-incumbency, I will be blamed if he loses. Hence, to avoid the blame, I am quitting the BJP,” Mr. Ashtagi said.

Meanwhile, other aspirants, including the former MLA Seema Masuti and Savita Amarashetty, have expressed disappointment over not being considered for party ticket.

In Kundgol, where the BJP has chosen M.R. Patil to contest, S.I. Chikkanagoudar, former MLA and relative of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, held a meeting of his followers on Wednesday and openly announced that he is ready with his resignation letter to the primary membership of the party and that there is no question of him going back to the BJP.