Supporters of Yelahanka BJP MLA SR Vishwanath started a ‘Go back Sudhakar’ campaign against former minister K Sudhakar on Monday, March 25 in Nelamangala. This comes after Sudhakar was announced as BJP’s candidate from Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency. The campaign, displayed posters with the message, "Go back Sudhakar. Modi once again."
Former Health Minister Sudhakar, who faced defeat in the previous Assembly elections, replaced the incumbent MP BN Bache Gowda, who recently resigned from electoral politics. SR Vishwanath, seeking a ticket for his son Alok from the same seat, has found himself at odds with Sudhakar's candidacy.
Responding to the brewing conflict, K Sudhakar said, "He (Vishwanath) is a senior leader from our party. He tried getting a seat for his son, which isn’t wrong. But the party has decided to let me contest after considering everything. I will visit his house and speak to him. We have to make sure Congress loses and Narendra Modi should be Prime Minister again."
Sudhakar has faced political challenges recently, notably his defeat in the Chikkaballapur constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections. This loss, by a margin of 10,642 votes to Congress' Pradeep Eshwar, marked Sudhakar's first electoral setback after winning three consecutive terms since 2013. His tenure as Health Minister, which began in October 2020, was also marred by criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
In 2019, the BJP secured victory in 25 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Initially, the party announced a list of 20 candidates, with nine changes of candidates. Being in coalition with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka, the BJP is expected to give the seats of Mandya, Hassan, and Kolar to JD(S). The BJP has not yet announced a candidate from Chitradurga, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.