K'taka Polls: After Quitting BJP, Manjunath To File Nomination As JD(S) Shivamogga Candidate Today

Former BJP MLC Ayanur Manjunath will file for nomination as JD(S) candidate today after he was denied a ticket from the Shivamogga seat by the BJP.

Senior Karnataka leader and former MLC Ayanur Manjunath will on Thursday file his nomination as a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from the Shivamogga constituency. This comes after he joined the JD(S) in the presence of former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and was made the candidate from the Shivamogga constituency. In yet another setback to Karnataka BJP, Manjunath, a senior Lingayat leader from Shivamogga district, announced his resignation as an MLC and also from the primary membership of the party on Wednesday morning.

He will file for nomination as JD(S) candidate today after he was denied a ticket from the Shivamogga seat by the BJP, presently being represented by former minister K.S. Eshwarappa.

The Shivamogga constituency had witnessed the brutal killing of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and a spate of disturbing incidents of violence in the recent past.

"I am not quitting the party because of a denial of ticket. I have taken this decision to contribute to the growth of the city. I have to answer many questions, which I will during the elections. I am the only person to give a statement in support of former CM B.S. Yediyurappa," he claimed, as quoted by news agency IANS.

Manjunath On Joining JD(S) And Why He Was Denied Ticket By BJP

Speaking to news agency ANI, Manjunath said that he joined the JD(S) as HD Kumaraswamy promised him of giving a chance in the party.

"My options were open. My first preference was BJP, second was anybody. It may be Congress or JD(S). My third preference was Independent if nobody was prepared to announce my name. That was my stand, I declared in public. JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said that he will give me a chance, and he will support my thinking, so I joined the party," he said.

Asked about the reason why the BJP denied him a ticket, Manjunath said that he was given various chances by the party in the past and now they leadership is perhaps thinking of a new candidate for the seat. "They have provided me four chances, Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. They might have thought why another chance should be given," he remarked, as per ANI.

Manjunath was a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka from 2010 to 2016. He was also an MP in the 12th Lok Sabha.

Leaders like former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, minister S Angara, MLA M P Kumaraswamy, MLC R Shankar, and Jagadish Shettar have quit the BJP in recent days.

Today is the last date for filing nominations, and the last day to withdraw nominations is April 24. The Karnataka Assembly Election will be held on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.