Several aspirants from Scheduled Castes (Right Hand) are vying for BJP ticket in Kalaburagi constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
BJP State Scheduled Castes Morcha vice-president Ambaraya Ashtagi, addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Wednesday, said that Scheduled Castes (Right Hand) voters have been the deciding factor in the past many polls in the 12 Lok Sabha Constituencies in North Karnataka region.
The Scheduled Castes (Right Hand) population includes three lakh each in Kalaburagi and Bidar, around four lakh in Belagavi and Chikkodi, 2.5 lakh in Vijayapura and anywhere between 50,000 to one lakh each in Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri and Davangere constituencies and “we are thus seeking representation,” Mr. Ashtagi added.
Apart from Mr. Ashtagi, a former secretary to the Minor Irrigation Department (a native of Bengaluru) R. Rudraiah, BJP leaders Basavaraj Bennur and Dharmanna Itaga are aspiring for nomination papers from the BJP for the constituency.
“All four of us are expressing interest in contesting Lok Sabha polls. Let the BJP high command give ticket to any one of us, we will work unitedly,” Mr. Rudraiah said.
Responding to a question, Mr. Rudraiah said that they will work even if the party high command decides to give ticket to the sitting MP Umesh Jadhav.
