Bengaluru: Amid high drama, the BJP denied the party ticket to Tejaswini Anant Kumar, wife of late former Union minister Anant Kumar who represented the constituency for over 20 years.

Instead, the ticket has been given to Tejaswi Surya, a firebrand RSS activist and general secretary of the BJP’s youth wing. He will file his nomination papers today, March 26.

As news of Tejaswini’s ticket denial spread, hundreds of party activists gathered in front of her house and urged her to contest as an independent candidate, but she declined.

The BJP high command originally wanted Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya to contest from this constituency, but he declined.

Early on Tuesday morning, Tejaswini Anant Kumar tweeted: “My urge all the BJP karyakartas, friends and well wishers who are anxious and upest & still visting our house in large numbers. Time to show we are a ‘party with a difference’. We are all committed to tread the path of ideology. And work for #NamoAgain2019. (sic)”