Raghupathi Bhat Confirms He Will Contest 2028 Assembly Elections
Udupi: Former MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat has confirmed that he will contest the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections but said he has not yet decided whether to join the Congress. He is currently seeking the opinions of his supporters and party workers before deciding his political future.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bhat said he was not making any special preparations for the elections at present.
“When I was elected MLA three times, I had the party and its workers behind me. Now, I am preparing as an independent candidate. I have not made any decision yet. Before deciding, I will seek the opinions of my supporters and workers. I have a large number of supporters,” he said.
Bhat said he had earlier announced that he would not make a decision until the end of Navaratri but would now begin the process, as the elections were approaching.
“If the BJP invites me back, there will be no need to seek the opinions of my supporters. There are people who have known me for 25 to 30 years. I have always remained among the people and built my political career through my association with various organisations,” he said.
“I will return to the BJP if invited. My decision to contest in 2028 is certain. Forget the national and state leaders—even BJP leaders in the district have not spoken to me. They seem to think that I am just a Brahmin who is of no use and cannot accomplish anything,” Bhat said, expressing his displeasure.
He recalled serving on the BJP’s local committee and working to strengthen the party. Referring to an earlier instance when former MLA Sukumar Shetty was reportedly considering joining the Congress, Bhat said he and Sunil Kumar had visited him to discuss the matter. He also claimed to have brought several Congress workers into the BJP and helped strengthen the party.
Criticism of Udupi MLA Yashpal A. Suvarna
Bhat once again criticised Udupi MLA Yashpal A. Suvarna, alleging that the sitting MLA was creating personal difficulties for him.
“The current MLA is speaking disrespectfully about me. In the Kaup constituency, when Lalaji Mendon gave up his ticket, Gurme Suresh Shetty treated him with respect. But the MLA here is creating personal problems for me. I was elected on a BJP ticket three times, yet a BJP MLA is causing difficulties for me. I was forced to stage a protest over the single-layout issue,” Bhat alleged.
He further accused Suvarna of working against him during the 2004 election. Bhat recalled that Sudhakar Shetty had contested as a BJP rebel and independent candidate when he entered the electoral fray.
“Yashpal worked against me. After I won, I put aside our differences and brought him into the party as a nominated councillor. I have never practised politics based on enmity or personal hatred. I even brought people who had opposed me back into the BJP,” he said.
Recalling His Role in Strengthening the BJP
Referring to political developments in the Brahmavar region in 2008, Bhat said Congress leader Jayaprakash Hegde had considerable influence in the area and that Kota Srinivas Poojary had faced electoral setbacks there.
“When I contested, I worked to weaken the Congress in that region. The party needed me to spend money and defeat Pramod Madhwaraj. In 2018, it again needed me to contest against Pramod Madhwaraj, who was the sitting MLA and a minister, and secure victory,” he said.
Bhat said the BJP’s decision to induct Pramod Madhwaraj subsequently created a situation in which the party could win the 2023 election regardless of its candidate.
“Everyone should learn from my experience. We should have allowed the opposition to remain somewhat stronger. Was strengthening the party my mistake?” he asked.
He clarified that although he had agreed to Madhwaraj joining the BJP, he was not the person who brought him into the party.
Recalling his victory speech after the 2004 election, Bhat said he had promised to work towards a situation in which even an ordinary party worker could win an election.
“I fulfilled that commitment during the 2023 election as well,” he said.
Bhat added that the BJP could have appointed him to its state executive committee or offered him a position in Parliament or the Legislative Council.
“I decided to contest as a rebel only after these opportunities were denied to me. How many times can a person tolerate being betrayed? I am not prepared to plead with leaders or repeatedly seek their favour,” he said.
Recalls Differences Over Candidate Selection
Recalling the 2013 Assembly election, Bhat said former Union Minister Ananth Kumar had called him and asked him not to contest, citing a controversy involving a CD. He said he accepted the party’s decision and worked alongside Sudhakar Shetty, whom Ananth Kumar announced as the candidate.
“I did not even know who the woman in the CD was, and no complaint had been filed. But in 2023, the situation was different. Until the last moment, I believed I was the candidate. I came to know who had been selected only after seeing it on television,” he said.
Bhat also reiterated his earlier statement that he wanted the BJP flag to be placed over his body after his death.
“It is true that I said that. If the BJP invites me back, I still stand by those words. I said them when I was a loyal member of the BJP. But I am no longer in the party,” he said.
He further said that no process was underway to bring leaders such as Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and K.S. Eshwarappa back into the BJP, adding that he had personally enquired about the matter.
Bhat also expressed the view that former MPs Pratap Simha and Ananth Kumar Hegde had been treated unfairly, arguing that they should not have been denied party tickets.