For Umesh Jadhav, the Congress MLA from Chincholi who submitted his resignation and joined the BJP at a recent public rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kalaburagi, the road ahead appears not to be as easy as he had expected.
As he himself has said, Dr. Jadhav is getting prepared to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kalaburagi on BJP ticket against Congress veteran M. Mallikarjun Kharge. However, the contention of multiple aspirants for ticket in the party has made Dr. Jadhav’s way not too easy.
To douse the possible dissidence well in advance, party State unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa convened a meeting of ticket aspirants — Ambaraya Ashtagi, Subhash Rathod, Baburao Chauhan, and Namdev Rathod — apart from Dr. Jadhav at the Kalaburagi residence of BJP MLA for Aland Subhash Guttedar, soon after Mr. Modi left the city.
As per sources present in the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa made it clear that, out of the five constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the party would field Bhovi candidate in Kolar, SC-Right candidate in Chamarajanagar, and SC-Left candidates in Chitradurga and Vijayapura. He also expressed his desire to field Dr. Jadhav, who is from Lambani (Banjara) community, in Kalaburagi, as an inclusive measure.