Three-time BJP MLA from Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat, who has been denied a ticket to contest the May 10 Assembly election from Udupi Assembly constituency in Karnataka, is pained over the he has been treated by the BJP.
Speaking to mediapersons in Udupi on April 12, Mr. Bhat said that if the party had told him clearly six months ago that ‘he cannot be fielded again due to caste considerations, he would have followed the path chosen by senior leader K. S. Eshwarappa’, who announced retirement from electoral politics.
“All my party leaders told me till the last minute that at least two Brahmins will be fielded. I didn’t lobby for the seat. I have honestly built the party in Udupi district. I am confident about it,” he said, adding that he has not decided anything about his future course of action.
The MLA said that people of Udupi constituency voted for him without considering his caste (Mr. Bhat is a Brahmin). The constituency has a large number of people from other backward class, like Billavas, Bunts, and Mogaveeras, he added.
“There is no need of me for the party now. Because the party has grown enough,” he said adding that he had contributed to the growth of the party when there were no workers at the booth level.
Mr. Bhat is not unhappy over being replaced by Yashpal Suvarna, a leader of the fisherfolk community. “That boy (Mr. Suvarna) has been groomed by us,” he said.
“I am not sad over the decision (of denying ticket) of the party. But I am pained over the way the party conducted this transition,” he explained.
