The first list of candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls will be released on March 16 in New Delhi, said BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa here on Wednesday. He said that the party’s core committee team would meet in Bengaluru on March 15 and the list would be taken to party national president Amit Shah for approval. “Names of at least 22 candidates will be announced on March 16 after approval by the central leadership,” Yeddyurappa told reporters.

While the party is confident of fielding Congress turncoat Umesh Jadhav whose resignation is pending before Speaker Ramesh Kumar, a call on Tejaswini Ananth Kumar’s candidature from Bengaluru South awaits high command’s nod. “We have sought legal opinions on Jadhav, and there is no bar on him contesting for Lok Sabha polls. He will contest from Kalaburagi on a BJP ticket,” Yeddyurappa said. 

Having toured 26 of the 28 constituencies, Yeddyurappa is sure of winning in 22 seats. The party is planning to highlight achievements of the Narendra Modi-led central government, failures of H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka and the popularity of the previous BJP government in the state during their poll campaign.

The party is expected to leave out Mandya from its first list. A decision on backing Sumalatha Ambareesh is left to Amit Shah. “Comments being made against Sumalatha are unbecoming of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues. They praised Ambareesh when he was alive but now are making derogatory statements against his wife. People of Mandya will respond to such statements,” Yeddyurappa said. 

He said that all sitting MPs are likely to get tickets this time around. Neither Yeddyurappa nor B Sriramulu will contest from Shivamogga and Ballari seats respectively. No sitting MLAs will be given a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls, it has been decided.

“We are retaining our MLAs so we have enough numbers to return to government in the state as soon as the Lok Sabha polls conclude. This coalition will not continue,” said a party source explaining the decision to keep MLAs away from the contest.

The BJP is confident that the alliance between the Congress and the JD(S) will only benefit them. “People are tired of this coalition ruse. Their alliance will be helpful for us,” Yeddyurappa said. Responding to the JD(S) fielding Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil in Mandya and Revanna’s son Prajwal in Hassan, Yeddyurappa said, “There should be a limit to dynasty politics, but the JD(S) has breached all limits. This is the people’s opinion.”

Agencies

The BJP can take power in Karnataka “within 24 hours” if it wins 22 seats in the state in the April-May national election, the party’s state chief BS Yeddyurappa has said.

The BJP currently has 16 of Karnataka’s 28 parliamentary seats. The state’s ruling alliance partners Janata Dal Secular and the Congress have two and 9 seats.

“I am not telling you this is out of audacity. If the people of Karnataka give us 22 seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections, we will form the government in Karnataka within 24 hours,” Mr Yeddyurappa bragged at a public meeting on Sunday.

“20 lawmakers from Congress have not accepted HD Kumaraswamy as their chief minister,” he added.

The former chief minister has often been in the headlines over his pronouncements while campaigning for next month’s national election.

Last month, Mr Yeddyurappa had controversially said that the Indian Air Force’s air striketargeting a terror training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26 would help the BJP win 22 seats in Karnataka.

“The recent act of armed forces attacking Pakistan has turned the tide in Narendra Modi’s favour as the youth is happy after the attack. It will help us win 22 seats in Karnataka,” he had told reporters in Chitradurga on February 28.

Later, he backtracked and said there was “no question of drawing political mileage” out of the air strike and that his statement had been taken out of context.

Mr Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister soon after the Karnataka elections last year in May. He was forced to resign as the BJP was short of the majority mark of 111 in the state assembly.

The JDS and Congress tied up to form government.2

Over the past few months, both sides have accused each other of trying to get lawmakers to switch sides. The ruling combine has been fighting to keep its flock together amid reports of “missing” or disgruntled Congress 

Agencies

MYSURU: Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-politician’s MH Ambareesh, dug her heels in as she made her intentions clear on Tuesday. “I will contest from Mandya. I will not go back on my word or rethink,” said the actor. Appealing to people not to believe rumours being spread, she said that she would not go back on her decision. Her only confusion was whether she would contest independently or on a Congress ticket, and this would become clear before March 18, she said.

A few people are using social media to mislead voters, Sumalatha said. She said she believes in the faith and emotional attachment of the people and the blessings of Ambareesh, and no one can stop her from contesting.

Agencies

Nasheman News : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for doing nothing to clean the Ganga, a promise he had made in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

“Swachh Bharat – Failed,” the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister tweeted and said that the Modi-led National Ganga Council did not meet even once in the last five years of the NDA rule between 2014-19. 

He also said that 351 stretches of rivers in India were now critically polluted, up from 302 in 2016.

The SP chief further said that seven of the world’s 10 most polluted cities were in India and the cleaning and sanitation efforts have been left to the lower castes. Thereafter, he called upon people to “vote for Maha Parivartan”.

Yadav has been attacking the BJP and Prime Minister Modi almost on a daily basis, raising a myriad of issues like farmer distress, growing unemployment, failed economy and poor law and order in Uttar Pradesh.