"Dinakara Shetty not the right man for BJP ticket, will take the right decision at the right time" says Kumta BJP leader Suraj Soni

Bhatkal 21 April 2018: (Bhatkallys News Bureau) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced its third list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections while also announcing Dinakara Shetty as the party candidate from Kumta, the last remaining constituency from Uttara Kannada District. Four BJP leaders including Dinakara Shetty with Yashodar Naik, Suraj Naik Soni and Subrayya Walke being the other three were battling it out for the ticket with the high command. The party however on Friday declared Dinakara to be the party candidate resting the hopes of three other leaders who were in the race till the last moment. Unhappy with the decision, BJP Youth leader with saffronist ideals Suraj Naik Soni, who was also behind the bars for his alleged provocative statement during Paresh Mesta's murder case and the violence that followed, is being 'Persuaded' by his fellow supporters and party members to contest the election independently, which ultimately can result in division of Hindutva votes and the party losing an important constituency of the coastal Karnataka. As soon as the reports of BJP members and leaders holding a meeting at Suraj's residence on Saturday started doing rounds, local political pundits speculated Suraj being the rebel to the BJP and contesting the elections independently and a few local media reports further escalated the speculations. But what does Suraj himself has to say about it? Speaking to Bhatkallys.com over a phone call on Saturday evening Suraj initially rejected the reports but later said he will take the right decision at the right time. Suraj said, "Dinakara Shetty is not the right candidate for getting the BJP tickets, he does not follow party principles himself, hence my party workers and Hindutva workers are persuading me to contest the elections independently, they all are unhappy with the party decision". "The reports saying I will contest independently are not true for now, I have not decided anything yet about contesting the elections, if at all I decide to contest I will file the nomination on Monday", he added. He further made things look uncertain saying "If I file nomination that doesn't mean I will contest the election, I can also withdraw my name by last day of withdrawing, so all options are open and I haven't decided anything". It will now be interesting to see if Suraj's political mentor Anant Kumar Hegde can timely intervene the situation can stop the party from getting into troubled waters right before the all important Karnataka Assembly elections. Earlier today BJP at the National level was jolted by the senior party leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha's untimely exit from the party and more such regional leader's exits before election can get the party into the trouble and can also have an impact on the election results. (Bhatkallys News Bureau/ Ismail Zaorez)