Bengaluru: Rift within the BJP widened over the selection of party candidate for the upcoming RR Nagar by-election.

As per sources, leaders failed to come to concensus on the name of the candidate during the BJP state core committee meeting and hence decided to forward two names.

It is said that CM BS Yediyurappa is keen on fielding Muniratna, the turncoat MLA who jumped from the Congress to the BJP house to bring BSY to power.

However, the party leaders with RSS support want Tulasi Muniraju, who contested in 2018 as the party candidate.

According to the sources, local BJP leaders are not ready to accept Muniratna. A section of RSS leaders are supporting them. However, Munirathna is confident of getting the ticket with the backing of the CM.

As the RR Nagar constituency is a strong vokkaliga belt, Muniratna is facing a tough task ahead as the Congress is likely to field a strong Vokkaliga candidate.

If the rumours are to be believed then the Congress has already decided to field Kusuma, wife of late IAS officer DK Ravi. It is said that KPCC Chief DK Shivakumar wants to teach Munirathna, a non-Vokkaliga a lesson this time for leaving the party.