BJP to field Jadhav, Chikkanagoudra

Bengaluru: The BJP, which is still hoping to form the government in the state, is doing everything it can to win the May 19  Kundgol and Chincholi bypolls to improve its tally from 104 to 106  in the assembly. The bypolls  have become necessary following the death of minister, C.S. Shivalli and resignation of MLA, Dr. Umesh Jadhav who joined the BJP close to the Lok Sabha polls.

With the bypoll results scheduled to be announced on May 23 along with those of the Lok Sabha, the BJP is hoping for a twin victory. The party has decided to field S.I. Chikkanagoudra in Kundgol and  Ramachandra Jadhav, brother of Umesh Jadhav from  Chincholi.

With the coalition government facing fresh turmoil following rebel  Gokak Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi’s threat to quit with his loyal supporters, the BJP's hopes of toppling the Kumaraswamy government have risen once again, according to sources.

State BJP chief  B.S. Yeddyurappa has reportedly decided to do everything possible to ensure the victory of his loyalist,  Chikkanagoudra,  who had lost to Shivalli by a mere 634 votes in the 2018 Assembly election and has deputed senior leaders Jagadish Shettar, K.S. Eshwarappa, Govinda Karjol and Prahlad Joshi to help him win from the constituency.

And in Chincholi, where Dr Jadhav is leaving no stone unturned to settle scores with Congress veteran Mallikarjuna Kharge, a battalion of leaders like V.Somanna, Laxman Savadi, R. Ashok, Malikayya Guttedar, Baburao Chinchansoor and N. Ravikumar has been put to work to make sure he wins from the constituency, according to sources.