Bengaluru: BJP state president and the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa is in a quandary whether to leave his constituency, Shikaripura, which had given him political rebirth in the 2004 Assembly elections.
After the party central leadership recently asked him to contest from North Karnataka, Mr. Yeddyurappa is searching for a suitable constituency in the Mumbai Karnataka region. Party sources confirmed that Mr Yeddyurappa has almost decided to contest from Terdal constituency, currently represented by women and child welfare minister Umashree.
At the same Mr Yeddyurappa is finding it difficult to abandon Shikaripura, which he represented six times in the Lower House. He told reporters in Shivamogga, "it is very difficult to detach myself from Shikaripura, voters here are questioning my move to contest from another constituency. So far, I have not taken a final decision whether to leave Shikaripura or not", Mr Yeddyurappa said.
Sources close to the former CM told this newspaper that Mr Yeddyurappa has to obey the dikat of party national president Amit Shah. It is Mr Shah’s strategy to have Yeddyurappa contest from North Karnataka so as to send a message to the region comprising more than 80 seats-the majority of them dominated by Lingayat voters, the community Yeddyurappa belongs to. The party feels it can easily win over the Lingayat votes with Yeddyurappa in North Karnataka and thus concentrate on South Karnataka.
But if Yeddyurappa give up Shikaripura, who will fill his shoes in the constituency? Sources said the obvious choice is his elder son B.Y. Raghavendra who currently represents the seat in the Assembly after Yeddyurappa was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014.
Former minister C.C. Patil has already invited Yeddyurappa to contest from Terdal, and has announced that if his leader desires to contest from Terdal, he will give up the seat which he lost in 2014. Sources said the party will accommodate C.C. Patil in the Upper House.
Meanwhile, women and child welfare minister Umashree, who currently represents Terdal, said that she was not afraid of contesting against Yeddyurappa if he chooses Terdal.
"I will not run away from the constituency, I will face the challenge from the BJP, if any senior leader contests from Terdal", she asserted.
