Rebel candidates become a big headache for the three major parties

The heat of insurgency is troubling the three major parties who have come to the election arena with all their capabilities and strength to grab power in the state. The last date for withdrawal of nomination was 3 pm on Monday for the May 10th Assembly polls. Despite constant efforts by the parties to convince rebels to withdraw their nominations, they did not withdraw their names and became a threat to the official candidates. According to the sources, in at least 14 constituencies, BJP could not make the rebel candidates agreeable to take out their names from the fray. Prominent seats where insurgency can be seen are Puttur, Bailhongal, Channagiri, and Afzalpur. Similarly, in Congress, rebels are contesting in 18 segments. Whereas, the JDS party has only one rebellion candidate contesting from the Mandya constituency.“ All surveys were in my favour but still the ticket was not given to me. I will be with BJP but as a rebel candidate,” informed Krishnaiah Shetty from Gandhinagar who is adamant to contest. Similarly, Arun K. Puthila will contest from Puttur as a BJP rebel contender. 
State BJP president Nalin Kumar made efforts to get him to withdraw his nomination. Independent contestant Madal Mallikarjun will fight from Channagiri as BJP’s rebel candidate; Former minister Sogadu Shivanna has rebelled in Tumkur.Bailhongal in Belagavi, Vishwanath Patil has not taken out his name and his presence is likely to affect Jagdish Metagud’s prospects. Nitin Guttedar, brother of BJP candidate and former Minister Malikayya Guttedar is in the fray at Afzalpur in Kalaburagi.BJP has fielded candidates in all 224 constituencies but the party is still hit by rebellions.From Congress, Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy will contest after being denied a ticket by Congress to him.  Congress rebel Yousuf Sharif KGF Babu refused to withdraw his nomination in Chickpet even after receiving calls from party seniors like KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.

In JD(S) former Minister Shankar Gowda’s grandson KS Vijayanand is in the fray as a rebel candidate.The BJP managed with negotiations to convince about 7 rebels from withdrawing their candidatures. In this, the names include Mahadevappa Yadawad (Ramdurg); Rajesh Gowda (Kunigal); Ramappa Lamani (Shirahatti), and MLA Neharu Olekar; Saubhagya Basavarajan in Chitradurga; Latha Mallikarjun, daughter of late deputy CM M.P.Prakash  in Harapanahalli in Vijaynagar district, among others. In this vein, the Congress party convinced six rebels namely Mallikarjun (Chickpet); Sharadha Shetty (Kumta); Altaf Kittur (Hubli-Dharwad Central), etc. to step back.In order to safeguard the candidates, both parties are ensuring either to make the rebel candidates neutral or try to stop their campaigning