BENGALURU: There is a clear former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s stamp on the first list of BJP candidates announced on Tuesday to 189 constituencies in Karnataka, which is going to the polls on May 10.
At the same time, there are no indications of any undue influence of powerful BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh in selecting candidates, as was initially feared by Yediyurappa’s loyalists.
For instance, in Tumakuru Rural, Santhosh was in favour of Sogadu Shivanna, but the seat has gone to B Suresh, a Yediyurappa follower. It did not matter in the end that Suresh, who was caught in the fight between the two giants in the party, had to quit as party district president earlier.
For the Byatarayanapura ward in Bengaluru, Thammesh Gowda, a follower of the Yediyurappa camp and who was closely working with his son BY Vijayendra, was chosen over the previous candidate A Ravi.
While there was a campaign within the party to not give the ticket to GH Thippa Reddy from Chitradurga, Yediyurappa prevailed. Most of the 17 turncoats, who switched from Congress and JDS to bring BJP to power in 2019 and make Yediyurappa chief minister, have been given tickets, thanks to the former chief minister, even if it meant denying a ticket to one of the original partymen.
Shikaripura firmly BSY’s territory
It was on Yediyurappa’s insistence that Mahesh Kumatahalli was picked for Athani, though former DCM Laxman Savadi was a contender. It is said Yediyurappa made it clear that he did not want Vijayendra to contest from Varuna against Siddaramaiah. He made sure that Shikaripura was kept within the family and the ticket has now been given to his son. It is said that Yediyurappa wants Shettar to be fielded.
Yediyurappa’s supporters said they are happy that PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah openly ensured that Yediyurappa’s words prevailed. It was they who decided to honour him at the Shivamogga airport inauguration and it was they who ensured that Shah visited Yediyurappa’s house.
Even as Yediyurappa’s followers celebrated, BJP leader Go Madhusudhan sounded cautious. “All are followers of Yediyurappa. One cannot separate BJP into separate groups with factions supporting different leaders. It is also true that no one can claim to be Yediyurappa, who has toiled hard for the party for four decades.”