Mangaluru: Following the first list of candidates released by BJP on April 11, a large number of disgruntled ticket aspirants was observed. One of them is Arun Kumar Puthila from Puttur who turned against the BJP and now stands for an intensified ideology.
The BJP released its first list of candidates earlier in April, and one of the aspirants for a ticket in the Puttur Assembly constituency, Arun Puthila, was left out. The BJP leadership decided to award the ticket to Asha Thimmappa in the constituency.
Following this development, Puthila chose to quit the BJP and run as an independent candidate in the upcoming election. Despite parting ways with the BJP, Arun Puthila has affirmed his unwavering commitment to championing the cause of the Hindu community and the saffron ideology.
Many residents of Puttur share his views and have rallied behind him, regarding him as a stalwart defender of their beliefs. Arun Puthila was accompanied by a massive throng of supporters when he went to file his nomination papers recently.
It is estimated that over 10,000 residents of Puttur joined the procession, demonstrating their ardent support for Puthila’s candidacy. The impressive turnout is a testament to the widespread popularity that Puthila commands in the region.
Puthila’s followers and supporters have even made posters in his favour with the tagline, ‘Puthila For Puttur’ or ‘Putturige Puthila’ in Kannada.
This wave of support for Puthila has raised an alarm in the BJP.
On April 21, the BJP Member of Parliament and a prominent young leader of the party, Tejasvi Surya spoke to the media at the party’s office in Byndoor, Udupi. Surya spoke about the BJP’s strength in Puttur.
Surya said that Puthila’s revolt has not caused any significant worry for the BJP. Furthermore, he expressed confidence that Asha Thimmappa, the BJP’s candidate for Puttur, will emerge victorious in the upcoming election.
Tejasvi Surya also spoke about the SDPI candidature of a murder accused by the SDPI. Surya said, “The SDPI ticket has been given to Shafi Bellare who is an accused in the Praveen Nettaru murder case. Bellare is contesting this election from prison. This development is a cause for concern.”
“The BJP places the Nation’s interests above all else. Neither Arun Puthila, the Congress, nor the SDPI will be able to secure a victory in the upcoming assembly elections,” Surya said.
Tejasvi Surya further asserted that the people of Karnataka have taken note of the development and progress brought about by the BJP at both the state and Central level. He confidently predicted that the BJP will retain power in Karnataka, reflecting the faith that the people of the state have placed in the party’s leadership and governance.
In an interesting Tweet from Arun Puthila on April 21, he stated that his goal is not to take on the BJP but to defeat Shafi Bellare and the Congress.
Puthila’s Tweet translates to, “There is a misconception among the people and I would like to clarify it. The fight is not against BJP but the fight is against Praveen Nettaru murder accused SDPI candidate, Shafi Bellare. The fight is also against the Congress party’s Ashok Rai who has something against Hindu workers.”
ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವ ತಪ್ಪು ಕಲ್ಪನೆಗೆ ಒಂದು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟನೆ ಕೊಡಲು ಬಯಸುತ್ತೇನೆ .
ನಮ್ಮ ಯುದ್ಧ ಭಾರತಿಯ ಜನತಾ ಪಕ್ಷದ ವಿರುಧ್ಧ ಅಲ್ಲ,ನಮ್ಮ ಯುದ್ಧ ಏನಿದ್ದರು ಪುತ್ತೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೀಣ್ ನೆಟ್ಟಾರ್ ಕೊಲೆ ಆರೋಪಿ SDPIಯ ಶಾಫಿ ಬೆಳ್ಳಾರೆ ಹಾಗೂ
ಹಿಂದೂಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರಿಗೆ ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಕಲಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ ಎಂದ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೇಸ್ ಅಶೋಕ್ ರೈ ವಿರುಧ್ಧ— ArunKumar Puthila (@ArunPutthila) April 21, 2023
This comment seems to suggest that Puthila’s main objective is to triumph over his rivals and emerge victorious in the election, rather than to engage in a confrontation with the BJP. Puthila’s ideology is not different from BJP but it is more focused towards the protection of Hindu interests.
With the support of epic proportions for Puthila that was displayed in Puttur the other day, it is quite evident that he will be splitting the BJP vote bank without doubt.
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