CM’s ‘Guru Dakshina’ plan for BSY backfires

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The state government’s decision to name Shivamogga airport after former CM B.S.Yediyurappa has not gone down well with some senior leaders in the party.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced that Shivamogga Airport which is expected to be completed by December this year, would be named Yediyurappa Airport, and a decision in this regard has been taken in the state Cabinet meeting. The decision may have pleased Yediyurappa, his family members and supporters but has disappointed former Union minister and Vijayapura City BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, considered a bete noire of Yediyurappa and his sons.

Yatnal has had a running feud with Yediyurappa over the ‘wrongdoings’ of his son B.Y. Vijayendra when BSY was Chief Minister. Now he has taken up the gauntlet against Bommai for deciding to name Shivamogga airport after his guru, Yediyurappa who played a pivotal role in getting him installed as CM in July last year.

Sources close to Yatnal told News Trail that the district of Shivamogga has produced great personalities like Rashtra Kavi Kuvempu and socialist Shanthaveri Gopalagowda who had contributed in their own way to society. On the other hand, Yediyurappa is someone who went to jail on charges of corruption and still has many cases pending against him. He might have contributed to the BJP a lot but what about pioneering contributions to society, wondered these sources adding that this would send a wrong signal to society.

Talking to New Trail,, a few senior leaders said they were surprised when they heard about it as BJP national leaders may object to the decision. This decision may be like ‘Guru Dakshina’ for Bommai to his political guru but not for other leaders. The BJP which has opposed the Congress for naming projects, parks and other new installations after the Gandhi family, is now doing the same mistake just for the sake of votes of Lingayat or Veerashaiva votes. The opposition parties are sure to make the best of it and embarrass the BJP for naming the airport after Yediyurappa as the Lingayat leader is embroiled in scams and scandals.

Talking to New Trail,, a few senior leaders said they were surprised when they heard about it as BJP national leaders may object to the decision. This decision may be like ‘Guru Dakshina’ for Bommai to his political guru but not for other leaders. The BJP which has opposed the Congress for naming projects, parks and other new installations after the Gandhi family, is now doing the same mistake just for the sake of votes of Lingayat or Veerashaiva votes. The opposition parties are sure to make the best of it and embarrass the BJP for naming the airport after Yediyurappa as the Lingayat leader is embroiled in scams and scandals.