Date:16/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041652150300.htm

Karnataka

Dissidence in Uttara Kannada BJP unit

Correspondent

Former MLA Gangadhar Bhatt sore over being denied ticket from Karwar
Dissatisfaction over selection of Shashibhushan Hegde from Kumta

SIRSI: Dissidence in the Uttara Kannada unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come to the fore following the announcement of the list of candidates for the six Assembly segments in the district.

Fishermen community leader Prasad Karwarakar is the candidate from Karwar constituency, Shashibhushan Hegde is the candidate from Kumta constituency, the former Minister Shivanand Naik will contest from Bhatkal constituency, the former MLA Vishweshwar Hegde has been given ticket to contest from Sirsi-Siddapur constituency, V.S. Patil will contest from Yellapur segment and Vijayendra Jadhav will contest from Haliyal constituency.

The former MLA Gangadhar Bhatt is sore over being denied ticket from Karwar. He alleged that there was a deal of Rs. 20 lakh for the BJP ticket from Karwar segment. Mr. Bhatt said that he could contest the elections as an independent candidate.

The former MLA Vivekananda Vaidya has been denied ticket from Sirsi-Siddapur constituency. It is said that Mr. Vaidya and his supporters may quit the BJP.

Kanara MP Anantkumar Hegde and president of the district unit of BJP Vinod Prabhu have expressed their dissatisfaction over the selection of Shashibhushan Hegde of Siddapur, a kin of the former Chief Minister late Ramakrishna Hegde, to contest Kumta constituency.

Mr. Hegde had contested the last Assembly elections from Kumta and lost to Mohan Shetty of the Congress. BJP leaders in Kumta say that Mr. Hegde was selected without consulting the party workers.

In Haliyal, the local BJP unit wanted Mangesh Deshapande to contest against the former Minister R.V. Deshpande of the Congress. But the BJP high command has selected Vijayendra Jadhav, who joined the party recently from the Janata Dal (Secular).