Yeddy under fire for ire from aides
Ex-CM Sadananda Gowda has openly come out against him for being replaced by Shoba Karandalaje; former minister JC Madhuswamy has said that he will not work for an ‘outsider’
As Karnataka BJP unit is gaining poll momentum with two huge political rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party is in a quandary as some of its senior leaders have raised a banner of revolt.
Former chief minister and BJP Parliamentary Board member BS Yediyurappa has become the point of disgruntlement for 'denying or not getting' Lok Sabha tickets to these rebel leaders.’
Former chief minister and former Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda, once a close confidant of Yediyurappa, has openly come out against him being replaced by Union minister Shoba Karandalaje from Bangalore North.
This comes a day after another senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister KS EShwarappa skipped the Prime Minister’s rally and announced to contest as an independent candidate from Shimoga against Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra.
Eshwarappa was seeking a ticket for his son KE Kanthes from Haveri, which the party gave to Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister and confidant of Yediyurappa.
“I had to reverse my decision
of retiring from electoral politics due to mounting pressure from party workers and people. I was assured a ticket by Yediyurappa. Even Radha Mohan Das (BJP election in charge in Karnataka) had said that it was just my name in the list.
Then there was backstabbing,” Gowda told the media. He said that a decision will be taken in the next two days.
Expressing anguish over Shoba, a sitting Lok Sabha member from Udupi Chikamagalur,
replacing him, Gowda said that there were efforts to pacify him by the BJP.
Saying that he will consult his family and followers before taking any decision on contesting the April 26 (second phase) from Bangalore North.
Asked if he was approached by the Congress, the BJP leader said that there was an offer but refused to disclose it.
There is, however, talk in Congress circles that the BJP leader could be the party’s
POLL TICKET DENIAL
candidate in Mysuru. The BJP has fielded royal scion of Mysuru Yaduveer Wodeyar in place of sitting member Pratap Simha.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar while refusing to give party’s away strategy said, “There are instances where all political parties have fielded candidates from other parties after they were denied tickets. We had fielded then BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi,” he said referring to Assembly elections in 2023.
In the neighbouring Tumkur Lok Sabha Constituency, former Karnataka minister JC Madhuswamy has openly said that he will not work for an `outsider,’ and his former cabinet colleague V Somanna.
A strong supporter of Yediyurappa, the former law minister who lost the 2023 Assembly election minced no words to criticise the former. “I was never an aspirant for the Lok Sabha seat. He (Yediyurappa) coaxed me and asked me to get ready for elections. Now the ticket has been given to Somanna (who is from Bengaluru),” Madhuswamy said, saying that he wouldn’t campaign for the BJP candidate. Efforts are on to convince him, but he is said to be adamant.
In the Kalyana Karnataka region (earlier called Hyderabad-Karnataka), veteran BJP leader and sitting Lok Sabha member from Koppal (adjacent to the great ruins of Hampi) Karadi Sanganna too has indicated rebelling.
Meanwhile, Yediyurappa and his younger son BY Vijayendra, who is also the BJP State president left for Delhi reportedly to hold talks with party brass to defuse the rebels.
I had to reverse my decision of retiring from electoral politics due to mounting pressure from party workers and people. I was assured a ticket by Yediyurappa. Even Radha Mohan Das (BJP election in charge in Karnataka) had said that it was just my name in the list. Then there was backstabbing —–DV Sadananda Gowda Former K’taka CM