Yediyurappa’s son denied ticket for K’taka MLC polls
In what is being seen in some political quarters as a setback to former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the BJP central leadership on Tuesday denied MLC tickets to his son BY Vijayendra and a loyalist.
Ignoring the recommendation of the state unit to field Vijayendra for the June 3 biennial election to seven seats of Karnataka Legislative Council, the party central leadership on Tuesday announced names four candidates, hours before the deadline for filing of nominations ended today.
The candidates announced by the BJP central leadership are: Former Deputy Chief Minister and party vice-president Laxman Savadi, party’s state secretaries Hemalatha Nayak and and S Keshavaprasad, and President of SC Morcha Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
The party also fielded JD(S) veteran Basavaraj Horatti, who recently resigned as the Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council and MLC, and joined the party, as the candidate for upcoming MLC polls from West Teachers’ constituency, for which poll is scheduled on June 13.
Yediyurappa’s loyalist Mohan Limbikai was a key aspirant of BJP ticket to the seat, but was overlooked.
The state BJP core committee had earlier recommended Vijayendra’s name to the central leadership, as one of the probable candidates. According to party sources, the leadership decided against giving ticket to Vijayendra, as it wants to field him as a candidate during the 2023 Assembly elections, and is likely to give him a greater role in the party ahead of the polls, as a placatory move.