From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 25: Lingayat strongman and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa resigned the membership of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly following his election to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga.
Yeddyurappa was elected to the Assembly from the Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district in the elections held last year.
State Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa told reporters here that Yeddyurappa had submitted his resignation to the membership of the Assembly and resignation has been accepted.
Yeddyurppa also spoke to him over telephone about his resignation to the MLA, the Speaker said.
With Yeddyurappa’s resignation to the membership of the Assembly, by-elections would be held to the Shikaripura constituency.
Yeddyurappa, who had merged a major chunk of his KJP and joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, wanted the Shimoga lok sabha ticket be given to his son B Y Raghavendra, who had won in the 2009 lok sabha polls. The BJP, however, insisted on his contesting from Shimoga.
The former Chief Minister faced a stiff contest from Congress party’s Manjunath Bhandary and Geetha Shivarajkumar, daughter of former chief minister late S Bangarappa and daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian Dr Rajkumar, from the JD(S).
Yeddyurappa has demanded that his son Raghavendra be made the BJP candidate for the Shikaripur assembly seat, which is likely to be accepted.
Last week, the former Chief Minister of the BJP has written to Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi expressing his willingness to work towards strengthening the party in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Small Scale Industries , Sugar and Muzrai Minister Prakash B Hukkeri, who has won on the Congress ticket from Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency is also due to resign his assembly membership.
The minister, who was keen on getting the party ticket to the lok sabha to his son Prakash B Hukkeri, is insisting that the ticket for the Chikkodi assembly seat be given to his son.