Bengaluru, Jul 26 (UNI) After the end of speculation over the resignation of BS Yediyurappa as Karnataka chief minister, a fresh speculation is brewing up in political circles over a suitable replacement to the Lingayat strongman.
Nobody knows who will occupy the vacant coveted seat. Many names are surfacing in the media, though.
Finding a suitable replacement to Yediyurappa is going to be quite a task considering the party's thin presence in the southern parts of Karnataka. The party has less following among Vokkaliga community in these parts of the state. The party, however, has a strong presence in northern parts of Karnataka where Lingayats are a dominant community.
Some names belonging to Vokkaliga, Lingayat and Brahmin communities are cropping up.
Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani is a leading contender for the chief minister's post and belongs to Panchamshali sub-sect of the largest Lingayat community. He is a very successful industrialist who owns sugar and cement factories. His sugar factory was visited by Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this year.
Nirani has won Bilgi assembly seat in Bagalkot thrice and has been supporting Panchamasali movement demanding inclusion of the community in the 2A category of the backward classes list.
Apart from Nirani's name, CT Ravi and Arvind Bellad's names also are cropping up as probables to assume the charge if Yediyurappa is asked to quit the chief minister's post.
Ravi is a prominent Vokkaliga leader from Malnad region and is known for his Hindutva politics.
He shot to the limelight spearheading the Datta Peeta movement in Bababudangiri Hills. The BJP wants the Peeta to be declared as a Hindu shrine.
Bababudangiri Hills is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Muslims as it houses the seat of Dattatreya and a Sufi dargah.
The fifty one years Bellad has been elected from Hubballi-Dharwad West Assembly constituency twice. He is a popular leader in his constituency and has provided houses to the poor, which is on the lines of Modi's housing-for-all concept.
He is the son of Chandrakant Bellad, who is a veteran RSS and BJP leader. Like Nirani, he also is a Panchamasali Lingayat.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai also is a leading contender and is a close aide of Yediyurappa. He is son of former chief minister SR Bommai.
He also belongs to the Lingayat community and started his political career with Janata Dal under the nose of HD Devegowda and Ramakrishna Hegde before joining the BJP in 2008.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan's name also is doing rounds. He comes from the Vokkaliga community and is a doctor by profession.
He was chosen as the deputy chief minister for his success in wooing MLAs from Congress and JDS to form the government.
Basavaraj Yatnal, a former Union minister's name also has cropped up. He is one of the most prominent Yediyurappa baiters in recent days.
The name of 58 years old Prahlad Joshi is popping up. A Brahmin by caste, he was elected four times as MP from Dharwad.
He also close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other national BJP leaders and RSS. He was seen as an able leader when Yediyurappa had quit the party and formed the Karnataka Janata Party in 2013.
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