BENGALURU: Newly inducted BJP MLC CP Yogeshwara set off a political firestorm on Thursday, as he sought to pit two heavyweight Vokkaliga leaders against each other — former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, and wannabe chief minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar.
Yogeshwara, himself a Vokkaliga, has often clashed publicly with the other two community leaders.
He claimed that Kumaraswamy was “adjusting” to the BJP, and was not critical of the ruling party because the government was obliging him in Ramanagara on the issue of transfers. He also said that Kumaraswamy was wary of the designs of the “DK brothers” -- DK Shivakumar and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh -- who are making it difficult for him and the JDS. He also invited Kumaraswamy and other JDS leaders to join the BJP.
This set the cat among the pigeons. Political circles were abuzz as Kumaraswamy publicly rubbished Yogeshwara’s statement, ‘’Now after is MLC, he is seeking to be sworn in minister and is making these statements hoping he will be considered for a ministerial berth. And no, I don’t have to adjust to the BJP.”
DK Shivakumar came out strongly against Yogeshwara.
‘’Has he gone mad? Just days earlier, Yogeshwara came and fell at my feet and pleaded that he be allowed to join the Congress again, but I urged him to go back to the BJP.’’ It may be recalled that Yogeshwara, originally from the Congress, had jumped to the Samajwadi Party and then to the BJP, and was languishing in political wilderness after having lost to Kumaraswamy in Channapatna.
He had refused to contest against DK Suresh in 2019. Yogeshwara also shares a poor relationship with Shivakumar. Yogeshwara later clarified that he had not prostrated before Shivakumar, and went on to claim that he had a role in bringing B S Yediyurappa to power. It is said that Yogeshwara was the chief strategist of Operation Lotus 2019, and had encouraged Yediyurappa to woo MLAs and topple the 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government. With a cabinet reshuffle expected, analysts say this could be Yogeshwara’s way of claiming his right to a cabinet berth, as there could be resistance to him joining the ministry in the BJP.