People in Raichur want their own to replace late Ashok Gasti in RS

Raichur: There was much hope riding on

Ashok Gasti

, a grassroots BJP worker, who was a surprise pick for the

Rajya Sabha

seat from Karnataka in July. The people of

Raichur

, Gasti’s home district, had hoped his nomination would

bolster development

of one the most backward areas of the state. However, his untimely death from Covid-19 has brought their

dreams crashing

.

Residents want the BJP top brass to keep in mind the backwardness of the district and ensure Gasti’s

successor

is from Raichur. The demand for a party worker from the district to fill the now vacant Rajya Sabha seat assumes significance against the backdrop of chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s recent announcement of setting up a branch of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kalaburagi, much to the chagrin of the people of Raichur who had hoped the premier institute would find a place among them.

Many organisations in the district are also drumming up support for an airport in Raichur, which they believe will give a fillip to the industrial sector.

Raichur BJP member Trivikram Joshi said the nomination of Gasti, a grassroots worker from a backward district to the Rajya Sabha had enthused the cadre. “A Rajya Sabha member from our district will make a difference when the state is slated to become home to AIIMS. It will help tilt the scales in favour of our district. We hope the party leadership continues to encourage leaders from our backward district,” he added.

However, sources in the BJP said senior members who had failed to clinch the nomination in July have begun lobbying for the seat. Ramesh Katti, who had been among the aspirants in July, denied that any such efforts were afoot. “Nomination of a worker from Raichur was done for a specific reason and the party leadership must select a new candidate from here, given that it is a backward district,” Katti told TOI.

Venkatesh Patil, a local politician in Raichur, said Gasti had been the first Rajya Sabha MP from the district in 35 years. “It is now up to the BJP to fill this vacancy by choosing a worker from Raichur again,” Patil said.