Joshi (right) justified this with the theory that with the Congress fielding former MLA Kulkarni, the saffron party had no choice but to field Desai
There are allegations that Joshi was one of the leaders who denied ticket to Jagadish Shettar, the Lingayat stalwart and former chief minister from his traditional stronghold of Hubballi.
The Dharwad assembly constituency in north Karnataka, where sitting MLA and BJP leader Amrit Desai is fighting a tough fight against Vinay Kulkarni, is turning into a do-or-die battle for Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who is the MP from the constituency.
There are allegations that Joshi was one of the leaders who denied ticket to Jagadish Shettar, the Lingayat stalwart and former chief minister from his traditional stronghold of Hubballi.
Even though Amrit Desai’s anti-incumbency and perceived arrogance is a worrying factor for the BJP, it was Joshi who arranged the seat for the sitting MLA to be his protege.
Joshi justified this with the theory that with the Congress fielding former MLA Kulkarni, the saffron party had no option but to field Desai.
Kulkarni was a two-time MLA from Dharwad, having won the seat in 2004 as an independent candidate and in 2013 as a Congress candidate.
He has been banned from entering the constituency since he was accused in a case of murder of BJP worker Yogeeshgouda Goudar in 2016 and is currently out on bail.
The CBI arrested Kulkarni in 2020 after taking over the case in 2019 following an agitation by Joshi and local BJP members demanding a CBI probe.
Kulkarni got bail in 2021 from the Supreme Court. However, the apex court refused to allow them to enter Dharwad district.
The former MLA and his wife Shivleela, who is spearheading his campaign in his absence, are highlighting the BJP’s politics of hate and oppression and trying to create a sympathy factor in the constituency.
While Vinay and Amrit are both from the Lingayat sub-caste, Panchamasali, the former has a soft corner within the community as he feels it was Kulkarni who spearheaded the movement for inclusion of Panchamasali Lingayats in the 2B reservation quota.
Many senior BJP leaders in Dharwad are keeping quiet after the ill-treatment meted out to Shettar, who has an unblemished image across north Karnataka and will affect Desai’s prospects as well.
Sources in the BJP told IANS that former MLA Seema Masuti has stayed away from campaigning, while several other leaders in Dharwad have left the saffron party.
Another factor troubling the powerful Lingayat community across north Karnataka is that Joshi – a Brahmin in collusion with another fellow Brahmin – was denied a seat by BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh.
If Desai loses in Dharwad, it will be a major blow to Joshi, knowing full well that other major communities in the highly caste-conscious state will not accept a Brahmin as a chief ministerial candidate.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)