Mudigere MLA blames C.T. Ravi for missing BJP ticket

During BJP’s Vijay Sankalpa Yatra on March 16, a group of people staged a protest in Mudigere opposing the ticket for M.P. Kumaraswamy. The protest forced former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to return from Mudigere without addressing the rally.

Three-time BJP MLA M.P. Kumaraswamy blamed BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi for being denied the ticket to contest from Mudigere.

“C.T. Ravi is in a powerful position. He is now national general secretary of the BJP. For personal reasons, he has opposed me,” he told mediapersons.

The BJP has nominated Deepak Doddaiah from Mudigere in place of M.P. Kumaraswamy, who is a three-time MLA.

For several months, Mr. Kumaraswamy had been facing dissidence within the party in Chikkamagaluru district. Mr. Ravi and MLC M.K. Pranesh, among others, are said to have opposed the ticket for Mr. Kumaraswamy.

During the BJP’s Vijay Sankalpa Yatra on March 16, a group of people staged a protest in Mudigere opposing the ticket for Mr. Kumaraswamy. The protest forced former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to return from Mudigere without addressing the rally. Mr. Kumaraswamy had alleged that a few leaders within the party had been opposing him as he is a Dalit.

It is said that the differences within the party deepened after elections to the Legislative Council in December 2021. M.K. Pranesh defeated Gayathri Shanthe Gowda of the Congress, but with a thin margin. This led to allegations that Mr. Kumaraswamy had worked against the party in the election.