BENGALURU: In an expected development, former BJP MLC CP Yogeshwara, popularly known as ‘Sainika,’ rejoined Congress on Wednesday. Subsequently, Congress announced that Yogeshwara will be its candidate in the coming byelection to the Legislative Assembly from Channapatna constituency.
His return has sent ripples across the political spectrum, with many insiders suggesting that his move would give Congress an advantage in Channapatna.
However, some political analysts opine that something unexpected could happen in Channapatna like in Bangalore Rural, where Deputy Chief Minister and Vokkaliga strongman DK Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh lost to BJP’s Dr CN Manjunath, a political novice, in the recent LS elections.
According to experts, the factors that led to his return to Congress are the party’s vote base in the constituency, which is estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000, is expected to back him.
Yogeshwara’s strong political background is hard to ignore. In 2018, Yogeshwara secured 66,000 votes. In 2023, that number increased to 80,000, despite BJP’s core vote base in the constituency being less than 20,000. Normally, the party that is in power is expected to win the bypoll.
However, Yogeshwara’s journey back to Congress is not without controversy. His political career has been marked by alliances with many parties, including Congress, BJP and SP. His victory in Channapatna twice in 2004 and 2008 under the Congress banner was followed by losses in the 2018 and 2023 elections, raising questions about his ability to regain the trust of voters.