List fallout: Accusations, threats of resignation, retirement fly around in Karnataka BJP

“There are many instances of corruption under Bommai during his tenure as Chief Minister and even before that. There were many shortcomings. We will expose that in the coming days. We will press for an investigation,” Olekar said. Bommai, he alleged, had lobbied in 2018 to deny him the ticket.

Dismissing the allegations, Bommai said: “Let him make (these allegations) with documents. Once it is investigated, the truth will come out.”

Three-time Mudigere MLA MP Kumaraswamy, who also did not get a ticket, said he “resigned from the party and would submit his resignation as MLA soon”. Accusing national general secretary CT Ravi for costing him the ticket, Kumaraswamy said: “CT Ravi is the reason. He has the power now as he is a national general secretary of the party. If I was in his position, I would have made sure he lost his seat too.”

“BJP is not able to attract people for rallies without Yediyurappa. If he switches off his phone for a week, BJP will not win even 50 seats,” he added.

Sukumar Shetty (Byndoor), Madal Virupakshappa (Channagiri), Prof Linganna (Mayakonda) and C M Nimbannavar (Kalghatgi) have also missed out on tickets in the second list. In total, the BJP has not fielded 14 sitting MLAs across the two lists announced so far.

The state BJP office in Bengaluru was also witness to dramatic scenes on Wednesday. Supporters of rowdy-sheeter Silent Sunil protested against the BJP’s ticket to IPS officer Bhaskar Rao from the Chamarajpet constituency that Sunil was said to have been eyeing. Though the BJP has said that Sunil has not joined the party, he was recently seen sharing the stage with BJP leaders.

Supporters of N R Ramesh, an aspirant from the Jayanagar seat, also staged a protest.

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who said on Tuesday after the first list was announced that “he would contest even if the BJP did not field him”, continued to lobby for a ticket. The party is yet to finalise a candidate for Hubli-Dharwad Central that he currently represents. Shettar also met BJP national president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Wednesday along with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi . “He (Nadda) said he would talk to other leaders and take a call. They will come to a decision and I will abide by it,” he said.

In Udupi, three-time MLA Raghupathi Bhat lost out on a ticket to Yashpal Suvarna, who was one of the most vocal voices against students seeking to wear hijab to college premises in Karnataka.

At a press conference on Wednesday, a visibly emotional Bhat said: “I am not sad about the party’s decision. But I am saddened by how they treated me. Till now, none of our leaders called me to tell me why I was not fielded from the party.”

“If they had told me three or six months ago that I cannot be fielded due to my caste, then I would have agreed and taken a decision like (former minister) KS Eshwarappa,” he said. Eshwarappa had announced retirement after his name did not feature in the first list of candidates.

Eshwarappa’s son KE Kantesh, who is looking at a ticket from Shimoga, met senior BJP leaders in Bengaluru Thursday. The party is yet to announce a candidate for the seat.

Six-time MLA and state minister S Angara also announced retirement after losing out on a ticket from Sullia. “I am not sad that I missed out. But now I feel that my flaw was working honestly for the organisation. I won’t do any anti-party activity, but will also not actively participate in any political programmes,” he said.

Bommai said the senior party leaders will soon be talking to “unhappy” leaders.