MLC elections: Raghupathi Bhat decides to contest as an independent

Former MLA and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raghupathi Bhat, who had expressed dissatisfaction after not receiving the Vidhan Parishad ticket he aspired for, has now declared that he would contest from the South-West Graduates’ Constituency as an independent.

In an announcement on Monday, Bhat affirmed his commitment to the BJP, asserting that his decision to contest independently does not signal rebellion against the party or any individual. He clarified that his candidacy aims to represent BJP workers and serve the populace.

Expressing discontent with the treatment of the coastal region by the party, Bhat highlighted discrepancies in ticket allocation, alleging favoritism based on financial status and caste. He emphasized that his decision to contest independently stemmed from the desire to address these issues and work closely with the people.

Earlier, Raghupathi Bhat had publically expressed his displeasure at not getting a ticket for the MLC elections.

“The MLC ticket announcement has been made. The teacher’s constituency ticket was allocated to the JDS candidate from Chikmagalur, while the graduate constituency ticket went to the BJP candidate from Shimoga,” he said.

“This decision by the BJP has ended a forty-year tradition, failing to honor the expectations of the educated voters in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu, as no tickets were distributed for the teacher’s constituency in the coastal region… Yet, with the recent MLC ticket distribution, one must ask who will address the injustice inflicted by the BJP’s break from tradition, which overlooked the coastal region’s teacher’s constituency for four decades,” he wrote in a series of posts on X after not being nominated as BJP candidate.