From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 20: Elated at BJP’s decision of selecting him as the party candidate for the Shiggaon assembly seat vacated by his father Basavaraj Bommai on being elected to Lok Sabha from Haveri, Bharath Bommai on Sunday confessed that he did not ask for the party ticket and expressed his gratitude for the party for giving him the ticket.

Speaking to media persons near his residence in Bengaluru, he hoped that the people will bless him based on his father’s development work as chief minister.

Bharath Bommai, who is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP state in-charge Radhamohan Agarwal for selecting him as BJP candidate for Shiggaon.

He also thanked senior BJP leader B S Yediyuruappa and his son, State BJP president B Y Vijayendra and Union Minister Prahlad Joshi.

“I owe this opportunity mainly to the blessings of my parents. Our party leaders have recognised the development work my father accomplished during his four terms as MLA in Shiggaon-Savanur and have given me this ticket as per the expectations of the people. I will continue all the development works my father initiated and will always stand with the people of Shiggaon-Savanur in their joys and sorrows,” he said.

Bharath said the BJP central leaders have selected him based on their calculations as he has been working for the party since 2018 on behalf of his father.

“In the 2023 assembly elections, I went door-to-door campaigning for my father and during the MP elections had toured the entire constituency and worked on his behalf. I have maintained contact with all the people of Shiggaon-Savanur, and when his father was a minister and then the chief minister,” he said adding “I did whatever work in my capacity to help the people.”

Although many people aspired for the ticket from the Shiggaon-Savanur constituency, they are all united behind him. “We will face the election together and achieve victory. Any by-election is challenging, but I am confident that the people of Shiggaon-Savanur will bless me, seeing the work done by my father and the work I have done alongside him.”

Basavaraj Bommai accepts party decision

Meanwhile, former chief minister and Haveri BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai confessed that he has bowed down to the decision of the party’s national leaders.

“The decision to choose my son Bharath as the candidate is taken in the party’s interests and for the development of the constituency. I had asked for two days as I was not interested in getting BJP ticket for my son. But the party leaders have gone ahead without waiting and I accept it. Home Minister Amit Shah telephoned conveyed the decision,” he said.

Caste census talk for power

Bommai attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for talking about caste census and releasing the report fearing losing power and demanded that the report should first be made public and followed by a public discussion.

Responding to a question regarding All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha National president Shamanur Shivashankarappa meeting him concerning the caste census, Bommai said their stance on the caste census is clear.

“This is not a caste census but a socio-economic survey. The state government does not have the authority to conduct a caste census; only the central government has that power. The Supreme Court has also halted the caste census conducted by the Bihar government. Here, they are conducting some survey and labelling it as a caste census,” he said.

The BJP leader claimed that the report is neither scientific nor are the statistics accurate. Several communities have raised objections. The report prepared by Kantharaj, who was the chairperson of the Backward Classes Commission, is inappropriate, and even the then secretary and members of the commission did not sign it.

Later, K Jayaprakash Hegde, the current chairperson of the commission, revised and submitted the same report to the government without conducting any survey. The Vokkaliga community has opposed this report. Even Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and many Congress leaders have opposed it. The All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has also opposed it. Siddaramaiah should take everyone into confidence and initiate discussions.

Prahlad Joshi’s brother’s arrest is Act of revenge

He termed the arrest of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's brother Gopal Joshi and the demand for Pralhad Joshi’s resignation as meaningless. Pralhad Joshi has no business or personal relationship with his brother. "I know his family very well. Congress is engaging in revenge politics. Whoever speaks against them, they ensure that an FIR is filed out of spite," he said.