Kumaraswamy announced that he would be ready to give up the party’s seat to the BJP, on certain conditions.
Published Aug 28, 2024 | 11:11 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2024 | 3:21 PM
HD Kumaraswamy with BY Vijayendra and BS Yediyurappa. (Supplied)
Two political parties in Karnataka are making accommodations to keep one man happy. Such is the compulsion to keep this one man happy that Janta Dal-Secular (JDS) is giving up its home turf Channapatna to BJP to indulge this one leader.
Assembly bypolls are scheduled in Karnataka to fill the Channapatna and Shiggaon seats, earlier held by HD Kumaraswamy and Basavaraj Bommai, both now Members of Parliament. While Kumaraswamy is the MP from Mandya, Bommai represents Haveri-Gadag. The Sandur assembly seat, reserved for a candidate from the Scheduled Tribe, will also see by-elections.
The BJP is keen on fielding MLC CP Yogeshwar from Channapatna, even though he has lost two consecutive assembly polls from there. The JD(S) is all set to cede the Channapatna seat to its ally BJP, citing a desire to defeat the ruling Congress party. The decision of the JD(S), to give up the very seat held by its state president and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, has raised eyebrows.
Interacting with local media, Kumaraswamy announced that he would be ready to give up the party’s seat to the BJP, on certain conditions. He did not make public his conditions.
The BJP has held that MLC CP Yogeshwar is the best candidate to take on the Congress in Channapatna, given the lack of strong contenders within both the BJP and JD(S) to effectively challenge the Congress in the constituency.
BJP leaders tacitly admit that Yogeshwar is being rewarded for his efforts to bring back the party to power in the state in 2019, toppling the then Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy.
Besides the three assembly seats, there is one legislative council seat too for which a candidate must be fielded. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce poll dates for the by-polls of the three assembly seats and a legislative council seat.
While some hold that Yogeshwar reaps the reward for his efforts to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and aid BJP’s BS Yediyurappa to come to power in the state in 2019, others recall that even his induction into the cabinet at that time was opposed by members of his own party. In 2018 and 2023, Yogeshwar had lost the assembly seat to HD Kumaraswamy.
BJP’s Deputy Opposition leader Arvind Bellad told South First: “The party is gearing up to field Yogeshwar because he is the lone winnable NDA candidate against the Congress in Channapatna. In the party’s survey report, Yogeshwar has emerged as the winnable candidate when compared to other aspirants.”
“The JD(S) has not made any conditions. The candidature selections are still under deliberation,” Bellad said, explaining that the BJP high command would take the final call.
Sources indicated to this reporter that Yogeshwar threatened the state party leadership, stating that he would quit the party and either join Congress or contest as an independent if he was denied a party ticket. Yogeshwar had been in talks with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, one source said. Also, his daughter Nisha Yogeshwar has already joined the grand old party.
The JD(S) won 19 seats in the 2023 assembly polls. After Kumaraswamy resigned, the regional party strength was reduced to 18.
One senior JD(S) leader, on condition of anonymity, told South First: “The decision has not yet been made about giving Channapatna seat to the BJP. Talks are still underway. The party is not keen on fielding anyone from the JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s family, for various reasons.”
With MLA HD Revanna and former MP Prajwal Revanna charge-sheeted in the sexual abuse case, the JD(S) appears unwilling to canvass for other members of the family.
The conditions Kumaraswamy mentioned pertained only to Yogeshwar, not to the BJP, the JD(S) leader said, adding that the party is not keen on a contest in the other two assembly seats either.
As for the Shiggaon seat, a party source said, “Basavaraj Bommai is trying to get the ticket for his son Bharat Bommai, who is yet to enter mainstream politics. He worked for the party in his father’s segment during the elections.”
“In Sadur (ST), the party is considering fielding either local leader KS Divakar or Ballari’s former MP Y Devandrappa’s son Ranganath,”an MLC told South First, requesting anonymity.
MP Kota Srinivas Poojary resigned from the legislative council after his election to the Lok Sabha. He had been representing the Dakshina Kannada local authorities in the council.
There are several aspirants for the council vacancy, including former minister Pramod Madhwaraj. The MLC who wished to remain anonymous said the party high command would finalise the names and declare nominees only after poll dates are announced.
BJP’s Karnataka unit president and MLA BY Vijayendra has flown to Delhi to meet the party high command for finalising the names of candidates.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
