BJP dashes BSY’s tour hopes, announces Jan Swaraj Yatra teams

BENGALURU: BJP has given charge of eight northern Karnataka districts, including Haveri, to Team 2 led by former chief minister BS Yediyurappa to organise the party through ‘Jan Swaraj Yatra’, which will be held from November 19 to 21. Team 3, led by RDPR minister KS Eshwarappa, will take care of nine districts -- Shivamogga, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Mangaluru, Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan.

With this, BJP has once again put a lid on Yediyurappa’s ‘individual’ statewide tour which he was planning since he stepped down as chief minister in July, sources said. Party’s decision-makers claimed that since Yediyurappa’s home constituency Shivamogga and coastal region need less work, he has been given tougher ones where he can be influential. 

But the decision may evoke a mixed response among his supporters. Yediyurappa’s son and BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra is in Team 4 led by former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and it covers mid-Karnataka districts, including Davanagere and parts of old south, excluding Mysuru and Mandya districts.  

“It’s the party’s move to go with the collective leadership , forming different teams with each consisting of half-a-dozen leaders. There is no specific message in giving charge of these teams,” said party’s spokesman Captain Ganesh Karnik. 

State party president Nalin Kumar Kateel will lead Team 1, which will include union minister Bhagwanth Khuba, ministers V Somanna, Murugesh Nirani and Araga Jnanendra among others and will cover Koppal, Ballari, Raichur, Yadagiri, Kalaburagi and Bidar.

Yediyurappa’s team will cover Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Chikkodi and Belagavi. Shettar’s Team 4 will go across Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural. The yatra will not cover Bengaluru city despite the BBMP polls on the cards. Sources said that the party is ready with the list of candidates.