Bengaluru, 7 March

BJP which has plans to win big time in State in Lok Sabha polls, may field two of its former chief ministers -- Basavaraj Bommai and Jagadish Shettar. The duo is from the dominant Lingayat community, counted by the party as its core vote-base.

Veteran party leader BS Yediyurappa on Thursday said discussion in this regard was taken up with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the party's National President JP Nadda.

Yediyurappa also hinted that BJP may allot two to three seats to JD(S), on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be taking a final decision.

Reportedly, JD(S) may contest from Mandya, Hassan and Kolar.

Speculations are rife within BJP circles that Bommai, who is currently MLA from Shiggaon, may be fielded from Haveri, with the party's sitting MP Shivakumar Udasi announcing retirement from electoral politics.

Shettar may be fielded from Belagavi, currently represented by Mangala Angadi, the widow of former Union minister of State Suresh Angadi. She had won with a margin of over 5,000 votes in 2021 bypolls against Congress strongman Satish Jarkiholi, when after the seat fell vacant due to her husband's death.

BJP wants to replace Mangala with a strong candidate to retain the seat, and Shettar’s name is doing the rounds.

Shettar, who had quit BJP to join Congress ahead of the Assembly polls last year on being denied the ticket, rejoined his old party in January.

Possibly a JD(S) candidate from may contest on BJP symbol, and it is likely to be noted cardiac surgeon and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath from Bengaluru Rural segment, where sitting MP and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh is likely to be Congress candidate once again. There is also pressure from party workers on Gowda's son -- former CM and JD(S) state President HD Kumaraswamy -- to contest from the Vokkaliga bastion of Mandya, JD(S) sources added.