Protests broke out in many areas of the state hours after the BJP released its initial list of candidates for the upcoming elections in Karnataka as leaders voiced their displeasure at being left out. The BJP has chosen Congress traitors in place of 21 sitting MLAs in the first list of 189 candidates that was released Tuesday night. Jagadish Shettar, a former chief minister who was this time among those dropped, is travelling to Delhi to meet with the top brass. Shettar stated that he will meet with J.P. Nadda, the party’s leader, and anticipates positive things will happen. The party had directed veteran leaders not to run for office in order to make way for newcomers. The BJP, which fielded 52 new candidates in the first round, is aiming for a generational shift and to strengthen the party structure in key regions. Of the 189 candidates, 32 are OBCs, 30 are Scheduled Castes, and 16 are Scheduled Tribes. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the party’s Karnataka poll-in charge, said on Tuesday that the candidates were chosen to bring in a new generation of leadership and fresh ideas. The opposition Congress has blamed the ruling BJP for the delay in releasing the candidate list. The BJP hopes to retain power in the southern state by gaining a majority in the 224-seat assembly.
Post Your Comments