Channapatna (Karnataka), Oct 16 (PTI) BJP leader C P Yogeeshwara on Wednesday said he will be the joint candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance for the upcoming Channapatna Assembly bypolls, and expressed confidence that leaders of both parties will announce his name soon.
He however indicated that he may go by the decision of his supporters and workers, in the event of not getting the ticket.
This even as Union Minister and JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy recently said that there is pressure to field JD(S) youth wing president and his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
Channapatna will go for by-polls along with Sandur and Shiggaon on November 13.
“I will contest as the alliance candidate in the Channapatna bypolls. As per my information, the BJP and JD(S) leadership together will finalise my name. I’m confident that I will be in the fray as the alliance candidate,” the BJP MLC said.
Speaking to reporters here, after meeting with his supporters, he said leaders of both parties have almost finalised his name after discussions, and his name will be declared probably in a couple of days.
“I’m saying this based on the information I have, I have spoken earlier with Kumaraswamy several times, I’m in touch with JD(S) leaders and also BJP leaders. I have spoken to them. I will get the ticket,” he added.
The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year, and the two parties contested the Lok Sabha polls in an alliance.
Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of its representative — H D Kumaraswamy — to Lok Sabha from Mandya parliamentary segment.
Noting that in all the surveys his name has appeared at the front, Yogeeshwara said, “if ticket has to be given on priority, I should be given. I’m confident that I will be given the ticket.” Conceding that there is anxiety among his supporters and workers that he may be denied ticket if the seat is ceded to JD(S), he said, he doesn’t want to react now. “If ticket is not given, a decision will be taken based on what our workers decide, But, I don’t think there is a need for me to decide in a haste…” Pointing to his efforts to build the BJP in the region for the past fifteen years, Yogeeshwara said, “I feel with me BJP can grow further in the region….” Noting that he is working under the BJP flag and will abide by the party decision, he however said, he will also have to listen to his supporters and workers.
Yogeeshwara had earlier said that in case he fails to get a ticket, he will contest as an independent.
Kumaraswamy’s actor-turned-politician son Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s name has been doing the rounds for some time now. Nikhil had lost the 2023 Assembly polls from neighbouring Ramanagara Assembly segment.
Kumaraswamy had won the Channapatna seat in 2018 and 2023. Before that Yogeshwara had represented the seat from BJP and Samajwadi Party. He had earlier also represented the seat both as an independent and from the Congress.
There are ndications that either Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar or his brother D K Suresh, a Congress former MP who lost from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, may be fielded in Channapatna, from the grand old party.
“D K Brothers” are hoping to regain lost grounds in the region, after the Lok Sabha poll debacle here.
A section of state BJP leaders have reportedly backed Yogeeshwara’s candidacy and informed the same to the party high command.
Kumaraswamy doesn’t want to cede the seat that he had represented and which has become his political turf, to Yogeeshwara or BJP, according to JD(S) sources. PTI KSU ROH
