Not keen on son’s contest in Shiggaon bypoll: Bommai

Bengaluru: Haveri-Gadag MP and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Wednesday, scotched rumours about his son Bharat Bommai contesting the Assembly byelection from the Shiggaon seat. 

Neither had his son Bharat sought a ticket from the party nor had he (Basavaraj) requested the party to field his son from the seat. The seat is vacant following the former CM’s election to the Lok Sabha. 

Bommai told reporters that Bharat’s name had come up during a core committee meeting of the party in his absence.

“I had been on a foreign tour. BJP state president (B Y Vijayendra) has assured that he will discuss with me before finalising anything,” he said. 

The former chief minister said Bharat was visiting Shiggaon only to look after his factory and this had been the routine since the Lok Sabha election campaign ended in Haveri. “He is neither campaigning nor visiting anyone there,” he said.

Basavaraj said he wanted an “outsider” to contest from Shiggaon seat this time, instead of his son. 

“Battle lines in Shiggaon are drawn and we are ready. I am confident that the party will have a victory margin similar to the 36,000 votes in the Assembly elections. I have held meetings and the party’s Karnataka incharge secretary Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal visited the constituency for feedback from local leaders,” he said. 

When asked about former minister Murugesh Nirani’s intention to contest from Shiggaon, Basavaraj said Nirani had spoke to him about it.

“He (Nirani) told me that he was interested in contesting, if local leaders support his candidature. But the decision on whom to field rests with the party high command. Although more than 50 local candidates have expressed their willingness to contest from Shiggaon, only five or six candidates are trying seriously,” the former CM said.