I am a strong ticket aspirant for Channapatna bypolls, says BJP MLC CP Yogeeshwara
Bengaluru, Aug 12: BJP MLC C P Yogeeshwara on Monday said he was a strong ticket aspirant for Channapatna Assembly bypolls and expressed hope that his party leadership along with alliance partner JD(S) will field him as their joint candidate.
He said in case he fails to get a ticket, he will contest as an independent, and wants to be back in the NDA fold later.
The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year, and the two parties contested the recent Lok Sabha polls in an alliance.
Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of its representative -- JD(S) leader and now Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy -- to Lok Sabha.
The byelection schedule is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
"I'm also a strong aspirant for the Channapatna bypolls. Kumaraswamy and I have been traditional rivals politically", he told reporters here, noting that he was JD(S) leader's "closest opponent" in the 2023 Assembly polls. "There have been 10,000-15,000 votes difference in every election, so it's my claim that the seat vacated by him should be given to me."
Kumaraswamy's actor-turned-politician son Nikhil Kumaraswamy's name is also doing the rounds. Nikhil had lost the 2023 Assembly polls from neighbouring Ramanagara Assembly segment.
Kumaraswamy had won the Channapatna seat in 2018 and 2023. Before that Yogeeshwara had represented the seat from BJP and Samajwadi Party. He had earlier also represented the seat both as an independent and from the Congress.
Indications are that either Shivakumar or his brother D K Suresh, a former Congress MP who lost from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, may be fielded in Channapatna.
BJP central leadership has reportedly asked Yogeeshwara to come to New Delhi.
Yogeeshwara said he is confident that Kumaraswamy will agree to give him the ticket.
"With a lot of confidence, our party leadership has made him the central Minister. In case I had not cooperated for the alliance (with JD(S)) ....it is me who first pitched for the alliance, both of us have to come together. I don't know how Kumaraswamy has taken it, but I had internally worked for the alliance, which bore fruit and he (Kumaraswamy) too has benefitted from it," he said.
Yogeeshwara said he was very clear that people of the taluk have faith in him and would ensure his victory under any symbol.
"Earlier too when the parties did not give me the ticket, people of the taluk held my hand. So, like-minded, non-political people in the taluk have formed a forum and are asking me to contest. I will go to Delhi, meet our leadership. I have positive indications from state and central leaders, let's see, Kumaraswamy may change his mind. If he agrees, good, if not let's see the road ahead," he added.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
