Bengaluru: It appears that former minister and disqualified MLA R. Roshan Baig is yet to come to terms with the decision of the BJP to drop him from its list of candidates for the December 5 bypolls and is also reportedly in two minds whether he should contest from his bastion – Shivajinagar as an Independent candidate.
Many of his supporters feel Mr Baig has reached a dead end in his political career and bouncing back from this situation won't be as easy.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader from his camp said on the condition of anonymity that Mr Baig needed the support of either national party – BJP or Congress – as he is facing the heat of the multi-crore IMA investor scam. “Mr Baig jeopardised his position in the Congress the day he targeted AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal soon after the Lok Sabha polls and with this, he burnt his bridges with the party in which he rose to remarkable heights. His alleged links with the IMA scam kingpin Mansoor Khan, has now made the BJP keep him at arm's length. He always maintained that the BJP would never ditch him but finally it has done exactly this,” the source contended.
According to another source in Mr Baig’s camp, the latter could either contest as an independent to prove his clout in Shivajinagar or field a 'proxy' candidate just to teach a lesson to the national parties. “It all depends on which party he is able to strike a deal with. Everything looks pretty hazy now and clarity will emerge after a day or two as Mr Baig is closeted with his close supporters to discuss his future course of action. But in any case, even if he makes a comeback, it remains to be seen if he will be able to command his original influence,” the source remarked.
