BS Yediyurappa’s second son BY Raghavendra is the MP from Shimoga. (file)
Bangalore:
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday said his son and BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra has the power and ability to win elections from anywhere but the party high command has to take the final call.
Yeddyurappa, an eight-time MLA from Shivamogga’s Shikaripura assembly constituency, said he would not contest the next assembly polls but would “suggest” the party high command to field his son.
During an event in Shivamogga on Friday, the Lingayat leader said he would not contest the next election but would field his son.
The veteran BJP leader reiterated what he had said the previous day.
He said, “Wherever Vijayendra asks him to contest, the party high command is ready to contest him. By the grace of God, he has the power to win from everywhere and has created his personality. However, the last The decision will be of the Prime Minister. I can give only one suggestion. We will stick to his (Prime Minister’s) decision.”
According to him, during an event party workers pressured him to contest again from Shikaripura, but he refused and proposed his son’s name as BJP’s candidate in his constituency for next year’s election. .
“I told my party workers that I will not contest the next election but I will ask Vijayendra to contest,” the senior BJP leader said.
The former chief minister said he was pressurized on a daily basis to field Mr. Vijayendra from either Mysore or Chamarajanagar district.
BJP insiders said BY Vijayendra played a key role during the KR Pet assembly bypoll and helped the party win the seat for the first time in the Vokkaliga stronghold.
Mr Yediyurappa hails from Bukanakere in KR Pet constituency in Mandya district, but the party could never win an election from there.
In July 2019, KC Narayana Gowda, now a minister in the Basavaraj Bommai government from Janata Dal (Secular), resigned from the assembly, contested the by-election on a BJP ticket from KR Pet and won the seat.
Mr. Vijayendra also wanted to contest on a BJP ticket from Mysore’s Varuna constituency in 2018, when Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah vacated his seat to field his son S Yathindra as a Congress candidate. However, the BJP leadership did not consider his wish.
BS Yediyurappa’s second son BY Raghavendra is an MP from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)