BJP leader Ayanur Manjunath to resign as MLC to contest Karnataka Assembly polls

CHENNAI: BJP leader and MLC Ayanur Manjunath on Monday said he will resign as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, and contest the May 10 Assembly polls from the Shivamogga constituency.

However, he did not specify whether he would contest from any other political party or as an independent candidate.

‘There are no signs of the BJP honouring my request for a ticket, instead names of children of some leaders are said to have found mention in the list….I will certainly contest this time…..I will soon be resigning from my MLC post,” Manjunath told reporters here.

He also challenged senior BJP leader and former Minister K S Eshwarappa or his son K E Kantesh to contest against him in the polls, as he hit out at the former for seeking a ticket for son, rather than for those who worked with him to build the party, and also for allegedly making certain comments against him.

Eshwarappa currently represents Shivamogga Assembly constituency and is said to be making efforts to ensure that his son gets a BJP ticket from the seat this time, from where Manjunath too is aspiring to contest.

If he resigns, Manjunath will become the third BJP MLC to resign, after Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur, ahead of the Assembly polls.

Both Puttanna and Chinchansur have joined the Congress. While Puttanna has been fielded by Congress from the Rajaji Nagar constituency in Bengaluru, Chinchansur is likely to enter the fray from Gurmitkal in Kalaburagi district.

Source: Press Trust of India