The 79-year old Yediyurappa, seen as the tallest political figure among Lingayats, the largest community in Karnataka, stepped aside in July last year, making way for Basavaraj Bommai. Unconfirmed reports say he agreed to resign only after party leaders assured him of safeguarding the political future of his son Vijayendra.
Karnataka is due for assembly polls early next year, and Yediyurappa’s staunch followers see Vijayendra as his political heir. The 46-year old Vijayendra is currently the vice president of BJP’s Karnataka unit.
BJP’s state unit had recommended several names, including that of Vijayendra to the party’s central leadership. Seven Legislative Council or Upper House seats are falling vacant next month, and the BJP can win four seats, the Congress two and JD(S) one. The Election Commission has fixed June 3 as the date of polls for these elections in which MLAs are voters. The nominees are expected to be elected unopposed.
The speculations in the BJP circles suggested that the party may send Vijayendra to the upper house which would pave the way for his elevation as a minister in the Cabinet reshuffle or expansion whenever that happens. The former chief minister has been keeping a low-profile after he stepped down, probably not wanting to ruffle political feathers and make his son’s political future difficult.
Soon after the party announced the names of Laxman Savadi (Lingayat), Chalavadi Narayana Swamy, BJP State SC Morcha president, Keshava Prasad (OBC) and Hemalatha Nayak (ST), Yediyurappa conveyed his wishes to all of them, while Vijayendra put out an appeal requesting his followers to stay calm and not post comments on social media. The BJP, he said, has not let down anyone who has the potential to contribute to the party.
Political watchers see the BJP’s choice of nominees as a strategic move to limit Yediyurappa’s clout and clip his son’s ambitions, and delink the party’s electoral prospects from any one leader’s family. The surprise selection of Hemalatha Nayak from Koppal suggested that the central leadership would make its own assessment and assert its authority.
In the runup to the 2013 assembly elections, an angry Yediyurappa had walked out of the BJP and floated his own political outfit KJP. It helped the Congress win the assembly polls and form the government. The party, according to sources, is aware of such risks this time too, but some leaders think Yediyurappa does not have age on his side.
Tuesday’s decision by the BJP probably shows it is ready to bite the bullet if Yediyurappa’s family were to repeat the past political adventure.
