BJP’s Yogeeshwara quits as MLC, may fight as Independent

NT Correspondent Hubballi: BJP leader C P Yogeeshwara on Monday resigned as the Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, to contest the November 13 Assembly by-poll from Channapatna segment. With the BJP ceding Channapatana seat to alliance partner JD(S), the actor-turned-politician said he plans to contest as an independent, and would take a final call, after consulting his supporters and workers, even as he appealed to coalition leaders to consider giving him a ticket from the saffron party.

Channapatna will go for by-polls along with Sandur and Shiggaon Assembly segments where BJP has already announced candidates. Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of its representative -- JD(S) state president and now Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy -- to Lok Sabha from Mandya parliamentary segment. “I have come here to Hubballi and have handed over my resignation to the Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, to contest the Assembly bypoll from Channapatna segment...once this resignation is accepted I can go for polls, so I have resigned,” Yogeeshwara said. Speaking to reporters here, after tendering his resignation, he said he plans to contest as an independent candidate, as he had contested and won in the past, and will take a final call based on what his supporters and workers say.

Noting that he has not resigned from the primary membership of BJP, and still wants to contest as a NDA candidate, he said, “As there is still a chance, I appeal to the BJP leadership to give me an opportunity. People of our taluk will make me victorious in the by-poll hundred per cent. For several years I have been working for the party. I also appeal to Kumaraswamy to give me an opportunity.” The last date for filing nominations for the bypolls is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.

The BJP has said that Channapatna candidate would be announced by Kumaraswamy, as the seat was represented by him, which dashed the hopes of Yogeeshwara. There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he seems to be not interested in it and wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate.