Bengaluru: After Shivalinga Shivacharya seer of the Kabbinakanthi Mutt from Hirekerur constituency, another JDS candidate is likely to retire from the by-election. It is said that party candidate for Athani, Gurappa Dasyala is missing over the last two days.
In Gokak, a by-election is necessitated following the resignation of incumbent Congress MLA, Mahesh Kumatalli. Kumatalli was elected to the assembly by defeating BJP strongman Lakshman Savadi in the 2018 assembly election.
Meanwhile, it is now being said that the BJP was able to convince Gurappa Dasyala to retire from the election to consolidate Lingayat votes in favour of Mahesh Kumatalli. Under pressure, Gurappa is said to have left for Hyderabad and staying in an unknown destination.
Gurappa was a ZP member from the party in the Belagavi Zilla Panchayat. “He is close to DCM Lakshman Savadi,” said a BJP leader.
“If Gurappa retires from the election field, it will be a cakewalk for Mahesh,” he explained.
