Yogeshwar mooting contesting Channapatna on BSP symbol

Ramanagara / New Delhi, NT Bureau: BJP MLC CP Yogeshwar has threatened to contest the Channapatna Assembly by-poll as an independent or on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket if he isn’t given the opportunity to do so by the saffron party.

The disclosure came to light when BJP leaders discussed the same in a meeting held in New Delhi. The talks were held at the residence of Dharwad MP and Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs Prahlad Joshi.

Cabinet colleague HD Kumaraswamy had taken part in the meeting alongside Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly R Ashoka, Deputy LOP Arvind Bellad, MLA CN Ashwath Narayan and MLC CT Ravi.

Interestingly, Yogeshwar had adopted a similar strategy when he was between parties back in 2013. He had chosen to contest from Channapatna on the Samajwadi Party (SP) cycle symbol, defeating HD Kumaraswamy’s wife Anita. The MLC is hoping the BSP elephant symbol will bring similar luck.

However, Kumaraswamy himself had contested from Channapatna in the 2018 Assembly elections, finally displacing five-time MLA from the constituency Yogeshwar.

The rivalry only grew more bitter when Yogeshwar played a key role in Operation Kamala in 2019 when 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs were poached by the BJP, toppling the coalition government and with it Kumaraswamy from the Chief Minister's chair.

Kumaraswamy went on to retain Channapatna in 2023 against Yogeshwar. Things opened up for Yogeshwar when Kumaraswamy won from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, bagged a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet and quit as Channapatna MLA.

Yogeshwar is now trying to regain his stronghold in the bypoll for the seat even as JD(S) workers insist on fielding one of their own. It is clear that there will be a single Channapatna candidate from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners.

HDK unhappy about comments

Kumaraswamy is also said to have expressed his dissatisfaction with Yogeshwar’s public comments telling mediapersons that he would not be averse to contesting as an independent if the BJP doesn’t field him from Channapatna.

Moreover, Ashoka, who had been open about wanting to lobby for Yogeshwar’s Channapatna aspirations before the high command, was circumspect in New Delhi on Friday. “We have left that (fate of Channapatna) to our NDA colleague Kumaraswamy,” Ashoka said.