BENGALURU: Shadowboxing between former CM B S Yediyurappa and his rivals within the BJP has resulted in Tumakuru MP G S Basavaraju opposing the former on the choice of candidate for Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat.
Yediyurappa has been backing former minister JC Madhuswamy, while Basavaraju is opposing him. Originally from the Congress, Basavaraju (82) is unlikely to get the BJP ticket, and is lobbying for former minister V Somanna as his successor. But with the BJP high command suggesting to Somanna not to contest the parliamentary polls, Basavaraju is feeling letdown, say sources.
“In a ploy to checkmate Madhuswamy, Basavaraju floated the name of Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje from Tumakuru LS seat, as she may have to give up Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat due to anti-incumbency. Yediyurappa’s son and state BJP chief BY Vijayendra also wants Madhuswamy as the party candidate. “If the ticket is given to Madhuswamy, the results could be unpredictable as the people will not accept an egotistic person like him. He has already paid the price for it in the assembly polls,” Basavaraju remarked. He said that he would speak to Amit Shah about Tumakuru LS ticket and explain the ground reality to him.
It may be noted that Shobha Karandlaje appears to have lost touch with the electorate in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat, and former minister Pramod Madhwaraj, who switched to the BJP from Congress, has started campaigning as the party candidate.
Shobha criticised Basavaraju for issuing a statement that would damage her image in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru. She clarified that she is most likely to contest from the same seat she won twice, in 2014 and 2019, owing to the Modi wave. “Udupi-Chikkamagaluru is a key seat with the RSS and BJP having a strong base here. Pramod, who is from the Congress, is unlikely to get the BJP ticket,” a source informed TNIE.
Somanna looks at RS seat
V Somanna, who is unlikely to contest the Lok Sabha polls, on Monday said he has appealed to BJP leaders to nominate him as a Rajya Sabha (RS) member, and also give him the task of ensuring the victory of BJP candidates in three Lok Sabha seats.
Somanna was sulking after BY Vijayendra was appointed BJP state chief, and had met BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital a couple of days ago. His issue is that Yediyurappa and Vijayendra allegedly did not help him in Varuna and Chamarajanagar assembly seats, and he lost. “High command leaders have responded positively, and the issue had a happy ending. They will come to the state by the end of January. I have sought a Rajya Sabha nomination and will get BJP candidates elected in the three toughest LS seats,” he said.