To retain S M Krishna in BJP, saffron leaders consider issuing ticket to his kin

Bengaluru, Apr 11: The senior leaders of BJP are reportedly considering to field a member of former chief minister S M Krishna’s family in the Karnataka assembly polls, in an effort to retain him in the saffron party. Rumours are doing rounds that Krishna has threatened quit BJP and return to Congress for "neglecting" him.

Krishna, a Vokkaliga, who was chief minister from 1999 to 2004, quit the Congress in January 2017 and formally joined the BJP in March 2017. He did so claiming the Congress was "in a state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not. Since joining the BJP, Krishna, 85, has only been seen during a Parivartana Yatra in Mandya (January) and then at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Bengaluru (February).

"If Krishna's family members are willing to contest, the BJP is ready to give the ticket to any Assembly seat in either Mandya or Bengaluru," BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashoka told reporters.

Krishna has two daughters - Shambhavi, who is married to liquor baron Vijay Mallya's stepbrother and Malavika, married to businessman V G Siddhartha. It may be recalled that Krishna had considered fielding Shambhavi in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Ashoka stressed that Krishna was not leaving the BJP. "He is not in India right now, but I spoke to a friend of his. Krishna will come back on April 13 and we will discuss the election with him. Cent per cent, Krishna will not leave. He is committed to strengthen the party."