Mangaluru: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has decided to withdraw its candidate from Bantwal Assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada smoothening the path of Minister B. Ramanath Rai, who has been renominated by the Congress as its candidate.

SDPI’s decision was taken to prevent the division of Muslim votes thereby affecting prospects of secular forces which could aid alleged communal forces, party office-bearers said.

The party, which had also planned to field candidates in Mangaluru City North, Sarvagnanagar and Hebbal, in Bengaluru, decided against the same on the last date of filing the papers on Tuesday even as it has decided to concentrate on Gulbarga Uttar, Chickpet in Bengaluru and Narasimharaja in Mysuru, said Mohammed Riyaz alias Riyaz Farangipet, SDPI’s State secretary, who is also party’s official candidate for Bantwal.

Mr. Farangipet told that he would leave the fray on April 27, the last date to withdraw the nomination as per the party’s State committee direction.

Asked what prompted the party to take the decision, as the SDPI was unhappy with Mr. Rai alleging that he failed to protect interests of minority communities, he said the party took the decision after examining the issue on all fronts.

“An internal survey indicated that SDPI has less chances of victory as it might get 20-25,000 votes in Bantwal. That would help communal forces gain the upper hand and hence the State committee took the decision to withdraw the nomination,” Mr. Farangipet told The Hindu. In the 2013 Assembly Elections, SDPI’s Abdul Majeed Khan came third with 6,113 votes while Mr. Rai won with 81,665 votes and BJP’s Rajesh Naik came second with 63,607 votes. Mr. Naik is BJP’s candidate this time too.

Mr. Rai had been blaming both the RSS and the SDPI for communal strife in Dakshina Kannada.

Minister K.J. George and Byrathi S. Suresh are Congress candidates from Sarvagnanagar and Hebbal in Bengaluru where SDPI decided not to field any candidates.