MYSURU: Ending suspense over taking the
political plunge,
B Y Vijayendra,
son of BJP chief and
Lingayat strongman B S Yeddyurappa, on Monday indicated that he will contest polls. Vijayendra suggested he will stand from Varuna, and his visit to the assembly constituency on Monday saw chief minister
Siddaramaiah turn livid. The CM dubbed Vijayendra “irrelevant”.
Siddaramaiah is the incumbent from Varuna, but he has indicated that he will contest from neighbouring Chamundeshwari, paving the way for his son, Yathindra, to contest from Varuna.
Seeking to dismiss Vijayendra as an “outsider” unlike him or his son, Siddaramaiah told reporters: “Has he descended from heaven (forcing me to worry)? He is most irrelevant in my constituency.” He chided the media for asking “useless questions” on what he thinks about Vijayendra’s candidature.
At one point, Siddaramaiah told the media: “Ask his father (Yeddyurappa) to come down to Mysuru and contest from Varuna.” According to the CM, Yeddyurappa is an outsider. “What does he have to do with Varuna segment?” asked Siddaramaiah. “Has he worked for the people’s welfare here? Who worked for the people’s development? I have represented Varuna for two terms and worked to improve the quality of life of voters here.”
Before the delimitation in 2008, major parts of Varuna segment were part of Chamundeshwari constituency. Siddaramaiah said people cannot be fooled, adding: “If voters elect somebody just because he is son of a former CM, many would have got elected to the assembly easily. It doesn’t work that way. If my son Yathindra is fielded from Congress, people will assess my work as the MLA and vote for the Congress and not because he is my son.”
According to him, times have changed. Way back in 1952, a candidate got people’s approval after he held a meeting with the head of the village. It is not the case anymore, he stated, adding voters in both Varuna and Chamundeshwari will elect Congress.
The
BJP believes Vijayendra will get Lingayat, scheduled tribes and some of the OBC votes. The Modi government giving the Parivara and Talavar, a Nayaka community the ST tag, is also seen to benefit the BJP as a large number of them are in Varuna and in Mysuru district.
Approximate caste break up in Varuna:Lingayats: 55,000, Kurubas: 35,000, Vokkaligas: 12,000, Scheduled Castes: 43,000, Scheduled Tribes:23,000 and OBCs: 12,000.
