Bangalore: BJP national president Rajnath Singh, in the city to attend a state executive, strongly indicated that former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa would soon be reinducted into the party. When asked about the specific date for the reentry of YeddyuÂrappa, Singh replied: "Each and every process is underway, we will let you know once the party takes a decision".
More categorical was party general secretary Ananth Kumar, once considered an arch rival of Yeddyurappa. He said the exit of 'some of our brothers before the assembly polls, had affected BJP prospects. These leaders would soon return and "we fill fight the Lok Sabha polls unitedly," he said.
With BSY on board, BJP dreams of 19 seats
The reinduction of former CM B.S.Yeddyurappa into the BJP is expected to give the party a fighting chance of retaining the 19 Lok Sabha seats it won in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
In 2009, it was then CM Mr Yeddyurappa who led the party to victory. Subsequently the BJP lost the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in the by-election held in 2012.
Party leaders are hoping the clout Yeddyurappa enjoys in the Lingayat community and the anticipated Narendra Modi wave, would help them retain all 19 seats in 2014.
According to party insiders, in the 2013 Assembly elections, the BJP and KJP put together, had taken a lead in ten Lok Sabha constituencies. Minus KJP, the BJP could secure a lead only in Chikkodi and Belgaum Lok Sabha seats.
BJP leaders are wary of facing the elections without Yeddyurappa and feel they would at the most be able to win seven to eight seats. Their argument: the ten percent vote share the Yeddyurappa led KJP secured in the Assembly elections is enough to damage party prospects in the Lok Sabha polls.
"KJP won six assembly seats but stood second in 33 segments. It was responsible for the defeat of BJP in 80 seats and the party lost its deposit in nearly 120 seats", explained K. Dhananjay Kumar, KJP campaign committee chief.
The return of Yeddyurappa would help the party retain Lingayat dominated seats of Davangere, Haveri, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad. However, the BJP would have to fight the embarrassment of taking in a tainted leader, an issue the Congress and AAP are sure to harp on.
