BJP top brass in Karnataka as BSY fails to control rebels

Tribune News Service

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi April 8

BJP top brass enters the picture as former CM BS Yediyurappa (BSY) and his son BY Vijayendra fail to contain the BJP rebels in Karnataka.

Unable to convince legislators

Former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa could not convince MLAs ST Somashekar of the Yeshwanthpur segment in Bengaluru and Shivaram Hebbar of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district, to stay put in the BJP

In Hassan, BJP state incharge Radhamohandas Agarwal reached out to former MLA Preetham J Gowda, who is the BJP state general secretary. JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda had complained against Preetham to the BJP top leadership after the latter turned hostile against Prajwal Revanna, the BJP-JDS alliance candidate from Hassan.

Preetham has now been shifted as incharge of the Mysuru-Kodagu and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituencies to contain the damage. Yediyurappa could not convince MLAs ST Somashekar of the Yeshwanthpur segment in Bengaluru and Shivaram Hebbar of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district, to stay put in the BJP. Meanwhile, DK Shivakumar is cashing in on the infighting within the BJP.

In Shivamogga, the faceoff continues between former BJP minister KS Eshwarappa, who will be contesting as an Independent against Raghavendra.

Deputy CM and Congress state president DK Shivakumar, during his visit to Hassan recently, asked Preetham to be careful while backing Prajwal in the bastion of the Vokkaliga community, to which both Preetham and Shivakumar belong.

Last week, Agarwal also met former minister and Yediyurappa loyalist JC Madhuswamy, who was an aspirant for the ticket and is now miffed with the party for picking S Somanna for Tumkuru. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week asked miffed BJP leaders to work with party nominees, Madhuswamy skipped the meeting.

Madhuswamy, who did not meet Somanna, received Congress candidate SP Muddahanume Gowda on Sunday.

BJP MLAs ST Somashekar of the Yeshwanthpur segment in Bengaluru and Shivaram Hebbar of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district have also approached Karnataka CM Sidddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to campaign for the Congress candidates.

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