Karnataka polls: Varuna constituency could see battle of sons as Yeddyurappa might field Vijayendra against CM' son Yatheendra

With Siddaramaiah almost certain to shift to Chamundeshwari and Yatheendra set to be the party candidate for Varuna, some BJP leaders and workers are pitching for Vijayendra.

BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (File photo)

BENGALURU: While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to move to Chamundeshwari constituency to accommodate his son Dr Yatheendra in the neighbouring Varuna constituency in Mysuru district, the much-anticipated debut of Yatheendra into electoral politics will not be an easy affair. For, Varuna could witness the fiercest battle in the forthcoming Assembly election with the BJP mulling to field BS Yeddyurappa’s second son BY Vijayendra against Yatheendra, turning it into a battle between the son of present CM and former CM.

Vijayendra’s name has been doing the rounds as an ideal candidate to take on Siddaramaiah in Varuna. However, with Siddaramaiah almost certain to shift to Chamundeshwari and Yatheendra set to be the party candidate for Varuna, a section of BJP leaders and the party workers from Varuna are pitching for fielding Vijayendra against Yatheendra.

BJP strategists had perceived CM’s talk of contesting from Chamundeshwari as a smokescreen to mislead his opponents and Vijayendra was considered as a potential candidate to give a tough fight for Siddaramaiah in Varuna. Now, with Siddaramaiah set to field Yatheendra from Varuna, the local rank and file of BJP want the party to pit Vijayendra against Yatheendra.

While state BJP leaders refused to comment on the party candidate for Varuna by stating that party seniors would take the call, BJP Raitha Morcha General Secretary Kapu Siddalingaswamy, who had contested against Siddaramaiah in 2013 as a KJP candidate, said, local BJP leaders and workers in Varuna have been trying to convince the party top brass about fielding Vijayendra.

A BJP leader, who is part of the party’s strategy team, said, “We wanted to give a tough fight to Siddaramaiah and pin him down in Varuna by fielding Vijayendra. The objective would be served by fielding Vijayendra against Yatheendra. Defeat of Yatheendra is nothing but defeat of Siddaramaiah.”

Kapu Siddalingaswamy, who is actively engaged in micro-management of BJP’s voter connect initiative in Varuna said, “We have conveyed our views to the party state leaders. We are optimistic of a positive response.”BJP cadres in Varuna are bullish on Vijayendra’s victory as BJP has won four of the seven Zilla Panchayat seats, 14 of the 26 Taluk Panchayat seats that come under Varuna constituency. The constituency has a huge presence of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat population, the solid vote bank of BJP.