BENGALURU: The BJP head honchos have an intense undertaking close by — chasing for an “adequate” replacement to 78-year-old Lingayat strongman and boss priest BS Yediyurappa at whatever point he chooses to hang up his boots.
It’s a test for the gathering administration in New Delhi, with none of the second-rung pioneers demonstrating enough guarantee to fill the old warhorse’s shoes. Yediyurappa will finish one year in office this July in his fourth innings as CM.
“Karnataka BJP short Yediyurappa resembles an anomaly. In any case, it hosts become basic for the gathering to locate an elective head before he blurs into the political nightfall. Be that as it may, whoever succeeds Yediyurappa ought to be a Lingayat to get moment acknowledgement,” said a senior gathering functionary.
When the BJP government came to power in last July, the leadership appointed three second-rung leaders — Laxman Savadi (Lingayat) Govind Karjol (SC) and CN Ashwath Narayan (Vokkaliga) as deputy chief ministers — overlooking several seniors purportedly to groom a successor to Yediyurappa. But the trio has struggled to come out of the septuagenarian’s shadow.
There’s disappointment in the gathering over Yediyurappa’s style of working. The BJP administration, however mindful of the inward quarrelling, is stepping circumspectly as its endeavour over 10 years back finished in a calamity. It’s likewise mindful that it would ill be able to stand to lose the backing of Lingayat people group, its centre vote bank.
Sources aware of inside advancements state the focal initiative has now “opened the gathering” on the progression plan, remembering the 2023 get together surveys. Karnataka is additionally noteworthy since it’s BJP’s portal toward the south.
Sources said the gathering has focused in on a couple of names and things will turn out to be clear after Rajya Sabha surveys on June 21. Even though the names of Lingayat pioneers Jagadish Shettar, V Somanna, Basavaraj Bommai and Murgesh Nirani are doing the rounds, the gathering despite everything doesn’t appear to be persuaded that they’ll have the option to take forward Yediyurappa’s heritage. Two different names which have been added to the rundown incorporate Vijayapura MLA Basannagouda Patil Yatnal and Dharwad West MLA Aravind Bellad as the two of them have a place with amazing organizations of the Lingayat people group.
Yatnal’s solid RSS roots and his experience as Union priest may support him however his motormouth picture may play spoilsport. Bellad, 50, is being seen as the Devendra Fadnavis of Karnataka. In-Lingayat names doing the rounds incorporate Pralhad Joshi (Union pastor) and S Suresh Kumar (the two Brahmins), R Ashoka (Vokkaliga) and Aravind Limbavalli (SC), a significant number of whom have the solid help of RSS. Yediyurappa himself is supposed to pitch for his more youthful child BY Vijayendra, who is confronting resistance’s charges of being true CM, yet the inquiry is whether he will have the support of senior MLAs.