Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav will be the BJP’s candidate against Mallikarjun Kharge: BS Yeddyurappa

Speaking to reporters here, he said Jadhav had formally joined the BJP in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi in a public meeting held in Kalaburgi last week, even before his resignation letter submitted to Legislative Assembly Speaker as Chincholi MLA is yet to be accepted.

Yeddyurappa’s comments comes before the BJP party leadership in New Delhi is yet to finalise the candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. But the BJP strongman said today that Congress party’s rebel MLA Jadhav will be the party’s nominee to contest from the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat.

Addressing newsmen here Yeddyurappa said that “the core committee of the State BJP had finalised the nomination of Umesh Jadhav for the Kalaburagi Seat”.

Maintaining that there are no legal impediments for Jadhav to contest the election on BJP ticket in Lok Sabha polls, he clarified “the delay in accepting Jadhav’s resignation to the Assembly seat by the Speaker will not bar him from contesting the elections”.

Jadhav is likely to post a stiff challenge to Mr Kharge in Kalaburagi seat in the coming elections where the senior Congress leader has won two consecutive terms and never lost an election during his political career spanning 55 years.

Jadhav, is facing a petition for disqualification of his membership for defying of party’s whip from attending CLP meeting. But the matter is pending with Assembly Speaker which has been put off in view of coming general elections.

The Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief minister Siddaramaiah had submitted a petition to the Assembly speaker seeking disqualification of membership for violating the party’s whip to attend the House as well as CLP meetings.

However, the Congress MLA, after attending the last day’s budget session, had submitted his resignation to the Assembly seat by personally handed over his resignation by visiting the Speaker’s residence, recently.

Replying to questions, Yeddyurappa hinted that almost all the sitting MPs, including wife of former Union minister Ananthkumar will get party ticket to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

Referring to Mandya Lok Sabha seat, he said that “We will wait for a final decision to be announced by Sumalatha, the wife of Ambhareesh”.

However, the BJP leader had charged that Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is shedding crocodile tear, showing a false sympathy towards Ambharish’s family members.