SHIVAMOGGA: With the fielding of DS Arun, son of senior BJP leader DH Shankaramurthy, as a candidate for the upcoming MLC elections, the children of all three top BJP leaders from Shivamogga have entered mainstream politics.
Former CM B S Yediyurappa, former Council chairman Shankaramurthy and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa not only built the party in the district but also strengthened it across the state. Yediyurappa put farmers’ interests on top of the BJP’s agenda at a time when Hindutva was the focus elsewhere. Shankaramurthy was a Council member for 30 years and became its chairman for eight years. Outspoken Eshwarappa has been promoting the Hindutva cause for long and has built the party.
Yediyurappa’s elder son MP BY Raghavendra is a three-time MP and also a former MLA, while the younger son, BY Vijayendra, has already made an impression in the party and is BJP state vice-president.
Eshwarappa’s son KE Kantesh, who is a ZP member, is an aspirant of MLC ticket this time, though Eshwarappa has made it clear he would not allow his son to be an MLA or MLC till he remains a minister.
Even during the previous Assembly elections, there were reports that Kantesh would be given a ticket from the Ranebennur constituency, but the party changed its decision at the last minute. Shankaramurthy’s son Arun is the chairman of Karnataka Arya-Vysya Community Development Corporation.