Somanna buries hatchet with BSY, inches closer to Tumakuru ticket?

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: BJP leader V Somanna called on former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa at the latter’s residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru on Sunday, signaling a warming of relations between the two.

The differences between the two Lingayat leaders are well documented. However, Somanna, who has been angling for the Tumakuru Lok Sabha ticket from the BJP, appears to be seeking Yediyurappa’s consent for his candidacy.

The BJP-JD(S) pre-poll coalition or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Karnataka had been considering “symbol swapping”.

The idea was for Somanna to contest from Tumakuru on a JD(S) ticket while Dr CN Manjunath, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s son-in-law, could be fielded on a BJP symbol in Bengaluru Rural against DK Suresh, the brother of Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

Back in January, Somanna had flown to New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and had sought a Rajya Sabha candidacy for himself. However, Shah had suggested that he contest from the Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat instead.

Since then, Somanna has convinced JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy of the plan as well.

However, the only obstacle had been Yediyurappa and his son and BJP state president BY Vijayendra, who had been pushing for former Law Minister JC Madhuswamy’s name for the Tumakuru ticket.

Somanna appears to be trying to win over the father-son duo in this regard. “He (Yediyurappa) has shared his experience. I’m convinced by what he said,” Somanna said.

“These things (differences) are natural. The truth is no one is too lofty. I have understood the circumstances,” he added.

He was accompanied by former CM Jagadish Shettar, incumbent Tumakuru MP GS Basavaraj and son Arun.

No dearth of past differences

In November last year, Somanna had been miffed with the decision of the party high command to make BY Vijayendra the BJP state president.

Somanna had been an aspirant for the post as well. Moreover, Shah had prevailed upon Somanna to abandon his Govindaraj Nagar stronghold in Bengaluru and contest from Varuna against eventual CM Siddaramaiah and from Chamarajanagara against Congressman C Puttarangashetty in last May’s Assembly elections.

He went on to lose both seats and blamed Yediyurappa and Vijayendra for sabotaging him.