“My contest as s rebel resulted in BJP selecting C. T. Ravi for Council polls,” says former Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat

The former BJP MLA of Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat claimed on Saturday that he contesting the Legislative Council elections from South West Graduates’ Constituency as rebel candidate made the saffron party field its party leader C. T. Ravi in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly.

The former BJP MLA of Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat claimed on Saturday that he contesting the Legislative Council elections from South West Graduates’ Constituency as rebel candidate made the saffron party field its party leader C. T. Ravi in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly.

Addressing presspersons in Udupi, Mr. Bhat, a three-term MLA, said that Mr. Ravi has got justice now. “Hindutva and nationality have now found a place in the Legislative Council,” Mr. Bhat said.

The former MLA, who has now been expelled from the BJP, was claiming that the BJP fielded Mr. Ravi, a former Minister, fearing that he (Mr. Ravi) too might turn rebel like Mr. Bhat.

Mr. Bhat said that his contest was to alert the BJP leaders to rectify their mistakes and take appropriate decisions in favour of party workers.

The former MLA, who lost the Council elections by securing third place, said that his contest resulted in the RSS workers jumping into the filed to canvass for BJP candidate Dhananjaya Sarji. In addition, the party’s national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh and the State president B.Y. Vijayendra came to Udupi for the campaign. He said that he will not retire and remain as a BJP worker.

Mr. Bhat said that he did not expect the defeat in the elections. He accepted the verdict of voters. Stating that he fell short of time for the campaign, he said that still many had supported him in the elections. “In the future, it will be a mirage for a common party worker to contest from the Graduates’ Constituency,” he said.