Bengaluru: With the dominant Lingayat community in turmoil over the issue of separate religion status, BJP President Amit Shah has instructed Karnataka party chief and Shivamogga MP B.S. Yeddyurappa to contest the 2018 Assembly elections from any constituency of his choice in North Karnataka. Lingayats dominate in the region and Mr Shah feels if Yeddyurappa enters the fray from North Karnataka, it will help consolidate their votes in favour of the BJP and foil Congress attempts to split the Lingayat vote bank.
The BJP which has always considered Veerashaivas-Lingayats its supporters, knows that it has a real chance of bagging an overwhelming proportion of the community’s votes as they are unhappy over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's game plan to divide them using the religion status issue.
If he gives in to Mr Shah’s request, Mr Yeddyurappa may have to move out of his native Shivamogga district from where he had been elected to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha for the last three decades so that he can exhibit his control over the community’s voters.
“It's true that there is pressure from the BJP top brass to contest from N-K region in the Assembly polls. I will think over it and take an appropriate decision. However, I will abide by whatever decision our national leaders take,” Mr Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru.
He said party workers from Bagalkote, Vijayapura and Haveri were pressurizing him to contest from their districts.
“I am in confused as this direction has come all of a sudden. I have been associated with voters of Shikaripura for a very long time. I am what I am today because of the blessings of Shivamogga district and voters of Shikaripura in particular. However, as a loyal soldier of the party, I am ready to obey whatever my leaders tell me. Sometime we have to be prepared for sacrifice forgetting self-interest to bring the party back to power.”
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Shah reportedly called up Mr Yeddyurappa on Saturday and asked him to contest from North Karnataka. The call came when Mr Yeddyurappa was attending the party core committee meeting in which Union Minister Prakash Javedkar participated.
In fact, two party observers-Mr Javedkar and Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal were learnt to have recommended to Mr Shah to ask Mr Yeddyurappa to contest from North Karnataka.
Mr Shah, knows that it would be difficult for the lotus to bloom in south Karnataka where Janata Dal (S) and Congress are strong and so the only region the BJP can bet on is North Karnataka. Close on the heels of the dramatic development, Mr Yeddyurappa held a meeting with Bagalkote leaders including Lok Sabha MP Gaddigoudar, and MLA Govind Karjol.
Former Major Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani is learnt to have offered his constituency-Bilagi to the state party chief.
There is also pressure on him to contest from Badami. The veteran leader was elected to the Assembly from Shikaripur six times but lost in 1999.
