Veteran BJP veteran leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday announced his retirement from electoral politics and said his second son, B.Y. Vijayendra, would contest from Shikaripur, which he has held eight times, in the next Assembly elections.
Mr. Yediyurappa, however, emphasised that there was no question of retirement from active politics and that he would tour the State to bring the party back to power. With elections going to take place in 2023 in the State, it is being watched with curiosity how the party would treat the senior leader unanimously announcing his son’s candidature.
Mr. Yediyurappa chose the occasion of offering ‘bagina’ at Anjanapura dam, where about four decades ago he had taken an active interest in repair works involving locals, to make the announcement.
He made a fervent appeal to people of Shikaripura to support Mr. Vijayendra in the same manner in which they rallied around him. “You must elect him with a minimum lead of one lakh votes from Shikaripur,” he said. He told the gathering, “I will keep coming to the constituency. Vijayanna will come here every week. He should be introduced in every hobli.”
Later, speaking to presspersons, Mr. Yediyurappa said he decided against contesting any elections when he resigned as Chief Minister a year ago. There had been pressure from party workers in the Old Mysore region to field Mr. Vijayendra from there, he said. “But, as I am vacating Shikaripur, he will contest from here,” the former Chief Minister said.
Mr. Vijayendra, who is also vice-president of the State BJP, said: “A month ago, leaders and workers from Shikaripur met my father in Bengaluru and put pressure on him to field me from this constituency.”
About his father’s future plans, Mr. Vijayendra said: “There is no such word as retirement in his dictionary. He will continue to strengthen the party.”
Speaking about the Opposition, Mr. Yediyurappa said: “Two people from Karnataka are going around claiming that they would become the next Chief Minister. But only someone from BJP will be the next Chief Minister.”
