New Delhi:

BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde recently said the party needed 400 seats to “amend the constitution”, which could cost him a vote in the upcoming general election. The BJP has distanced itself from the North Kannada MP’s remarks and said they reflected his personal views and not the party’s position. The party also demanded an explanation from the four-term congressman.

Hegde is a repeat offender as far as hate speech is concerned, with several statements he made forcing the BJP leadership into firefighting mode. Party sources said this could affect the leadership’s chances of brainstorming finalizing picks for the polls. Mr Hegde is understood to be lobbying hard to secure a spot on the second list of BJP candidates, which is expected to be out soon.

Several Congress MPs known for making controversial statements were replaced in the BJP’s first batch of candidates for 195 seats. These include Delhi MPs Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and agitator leader Pragya Singh Thakur.

A party leader later told New Delhi TV that while winning was important, the party was also keeping a close eye on candidates who embarrass the leadership with provocative statements.

“The denial of tickets to them sends a message that decorum must be maintained in public life. In the past, the Prime Minister has repeatedly warned party leaders against making controversial statements,” the BJP leader said.

Mr Hegde called for a “rewrite” of the constitution and said the BJP must win 400 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha to achieve this. He claimed that the Congress party had amended the constitution to “oppress Hindus”.

“If the Constitution has to be changed – Congress has fundamentally distorted the Constitution by shoehorning in unnecessary content, especially by introducing laws aimed at suppressing the Hindu community – if all this has to change, it is for the (current) Mostly this is not possible,” the BJP MP said at a rally on Saturday.

“If we think that the Congress is not in the Lok Sabha and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha and is silent, then this is not possible,” he said, stressing that the The party needs a two-thirds majority in both the Bundestag and the states.

“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi said – Ab ki baar 400 paar, why 400?… We have a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, (but) we don’t have a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha Number. We have a “slim majority. We don’t have a sufficient majority in state government,” he said.

The Karnataka BJP issued an alienation move on We are steadfast in our commitment to upholding the nation’s constitution and will demand an explanation from Hegde for his comments.”

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gaurav Bhatia also said Hegde’s remarks reflected his personal views. “The party has taken note of the statement and has sought clarification,” Mr Bhatia told news agency ANI.

Seat Sharing in Karnataka

Hegde’s remarks come as the BJP is in discussions with its ally Janata Dal (Secular) to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement in Karnataka. Sources in the BJP said that while the JDS has demanded four seats out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is in no mood to give them more than three seats.

The BJP is likely to announce the second list for nearly 20 Karnataka seats. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai is likely to feature in the list. Jagadish Shettar, also a former chief minister, or one of his family members may also find a place in the list of candidates. Sources said the BJP is likely to field 8 to 10 new faces in Karnataka.