Son wants Varuna, father invites him to Shikaripura!

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: S on of former CM, B.S.Yediyurappa, B.Y. Vijayendra has once again shown his interest to contest the 2023 Assembly elections from Mysuru district. This has confused state leaders as a majority of them had assumed that he would contest from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district which is likely to be vacated by Yediyurappa if he retires from active politics.

In 2018, Vijayendra was all set to contest from Varuna Assembly constituency against Dr Yatindra Siddaramaiah, son of Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah. The entire district unit of BJP had backed Vijayendra’s candidature and he was supposed to file his nomination papers from Varuna. But, Yediyurappa did not want his son to take on Dr Yatindra and asked him to withdraw from the fray at the last minute.

Some say that Siddaramaiah requested the Lingayat leader not to field his son. As Siddaramaiah and Yediyurappa share a good equation outside politics, the latter reportedly asked his son Vijayendra to wait for another five years. Vijayendra’s name also did the rounds in the run-up to the by-poll held in Basavakalyana and then too, Yediyurappa did not want his son to contest from a constituency he was not acquainted with.

Now, with hardly 12 months left for the Assembly election, Vijayendra is showing interest in taking the electoral plunge from either Shikaripura in Shivamogga or Varuna in Mysuru.However, it will all depend on whether two poll tickets would be given to a single family as BJP Organising Secretary B.L.Santosh has hinted at ending dynastic politics in the party. If that norm is strictly implemented, either Yediyurappa or Vijayendra will enter the poll fray next year. As of now, rumours are rife that Yediyurappa will retire and join the BJP Margadarshak Mandal to allow his son to take over the constituency. In that case, the BJP had to find a suitable candidate for Varuna to take on Dr Yatindra who enjoys good support thanks to his father Siddaramaiah who represented the constituency several times.