BSY plans Karnataka tour to prepare BJP for 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls

BENGALURU: Close on the heels of former Union minister and Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal saying that the era of BS Yediyurappa was over in Karnataka, the latter has reiterated that he will embark on a statewide tour in a couple of weeks to further strengthen the party ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. “I should have started the tour sometime back. But it was delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. But I will commence the tour in a fortnight as Covid-19 cases are declining,” he told the media on Friday.

The Lingayat strongman said the aim of his tour was to strengthen the party by holding deliberations with key BJP leaders in every district. “The good work and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai government’s policies reaching out to people will help us win 130-140 seats in 2023,” he added.

Soon after he stepped down as CM last July, Yediyurappa had asserted that he will continue to stay in touch with party workers by launching a statewide tour. But the BJP high command, it is learnt, managed to thwart all his efforts to go all alone by organising events under collective leadership, following which he had to defer his tour plan multiple times. According to party insiders, Yediyurappa now deciding to start his tour is seen as a strategy to establish his son and state BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra as a strong leader, especially as his successor.