Its raining retirements & resignations in Karnataka as BJP leaders miffed over poll list

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first and second candidates lists, comprising of 189 and 23 candidates respectively, the party faced a fallout with several excluded leaders, who were miffed that they were passed over for fresh faces.

It was raining resignations and retirements in the BJP's Karnataka unit as several leaders were excluded from the party's candidates lists for the upcoming assembly election, due to be held on May 10, for which results will be out May 13.

The BJP has announced 212 candidates to the 224-member house so far, choosing 52 fresh names in its first list. Here is a list of BJP leaders who quit after being denied tickets:

1. Ex-deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi: An aspirant who was eyeing the Athani constituency ticket, he resigned as the Legislative Council member of the BJP and quit the party on Wednesday.
2. Six-time MLA S Angara: From Sullia constituency in Dakshina Kannada district, he announced his retirement from politics on Wednesday, a day after he was denied a ticket by the party for the May 10 election.
3. BJP MLC R Shankar: He resigned from the legislative council a day after the ruling party ignored his request for a ticket. R Shankar was one of the 17 opposition MLAs who helped the BJP bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019. Shankar was aspiring to contest the election from Ranebennur but was replaced by Arun Kumar Pujar.
4. Mudigere BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy: He announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday and blamed national General Secretary C T Ravi for not getting nominated.
5. Former CM Jagadish Shettar : Senior leader and former CM Jagadish Shettar has quit the BJP and joined the Congress on Monday. As he was denied a BJP ticket from the Hubballi - Dharwad constituency, he will contest from the same place with a Congress ticket.
6. Former MLA Vishwanath Patil Hebballa : Senior BJP leader and three time MLA from Chittapur constituency, Vishwanath Patil Hebballa has submitted his resignation to the primary membership of party on Monday.