Former MP JP Hegde next BJP candidate for Udupi – Chikkamagaluru…?

Udupi: Sources said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to give a chance to former MP and minister K Jayaprakash Hegde to contest for the Udupi -Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha Constituency.

Jayaprakash Hegde has decided to join the BJP in the presence of Amit Shah, BJP National president in November.

JP Hegde met the BJP State president B S Yeddyurappa and former deputy Chief Minister R Ashok on Friday in Bengaluru. They had invited him to join the BJP and assured of the MP Ticket from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok sabha Constituency. The present Udupi – Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandalje is keen to contest the state Assembly elections from Yashwanthpur constituency. If she contests from Yashwathpur it will be easy for JP Hegde to contest from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru.

J P Hegde has been elected thrice to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the Brahmavar constituency and has served as Minister holding various portfolios. In 2009 he contested unsuccessfully from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru for the Indian general elections on the Indian National Congress ticket. Hegde has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency following the by-elections in 2012. In 2014, Shobha Karandlaje, who started her political career in Udupi defeated Congress candidate, Jayaprakash Hegde, by a margin of nearly one lakh votes. Hegde was denied the Congress party ticket to contest the legislative council elections last year, he later filed his nomination as an independent. The Congress party then expelled him for anti-party activities.

Meanwhile, Independent MLA of Kundapur Haladi Shrinivas Shetty has also decided to Join the BJP, said sources.