BJP tells Karnataka governor: Why don’t you contest elections?

The BJP on Saturday upped the ante against governor HR Bharadwaj, challenging him he to quit his post as governor and contest the upcoming panchayat elections. BJP state president KS Eshwarappa said Bharadwaj continues to act like a Congressman instead of acting in accordance with the Constitution.

“If his conscience does not permit him to continue as governor, he should quit and contest taluk and zilla panchayat polls on a Congress or JD(S) ticket,” said Eshwarappa on Saturday. “In case he wants to be active in politics, then he should quit as governor. He should not be behaving like the Opposition leader. He should be working for the people of the state and not the Congress,” he added.

Ever since becoming governor last year, the former Union law minister has been flaying the BJP government on several issues. He has objected to many policy decisions of the state government and has not supported any Bills, said Eshwarappa. He alleged that Bharadwaj helped Bofors scam-tainted Ottavio Quattrocchi to escape form the CBI’s clutches and when Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Kodha was facing allegations of approving illegal mining, Bharadwaj, then Union law minister, kept quiet.

Eshwarappa said like the assembly, Lok Sabha, cooperative and corporation elections, the BJP will win maximum seats in the panchayat polls too. “We will show our strength again. No doubt, the BJP will get first place by winning 20-22 zilla panchayat seats and more than 100 taluk panchayat seats. The Congress and JD(S) should fight for second and third position,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP opened its account by winning one seat in Bangalore Urban zilla panchayat. Saturday was the last date to file nominations for the first phase of elections and BJP candidate Jinnubai Nagaraj was the only candidate listed for Machohalli zilla panchayat. As a result, Nagaraj has won unopposed.