DHNS
Bangalore, Mar 5: The JD(S) had been branded the Appa-Makkala (Father-Sons) party in the State. Now the BJP too has joined the club. The son of Chief Minister Yeddyurappa will be testing his electoral fortunes in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
B Y Raghavendra, the eldest son of Yeddyurappa, is the member of the Shikaripur Municipal Council. He is also the secretary of an engineering college in Shimoga.
Earlier, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa insisted that his son would not contest the polls. He even swore on God.
The BJP’s 17-member State Election Committee, which met in Bangalore on Wednesday, finalised Raghavendra’s name, as candidate for the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency. The meeting was presided by D V Sadananda Gowda, attended by Yeddyurappa and Venakaiah Naidu among others.
The committee has, in all, cleared the names of candidates for 11 constituencies. The list will be placed before the Central Election Committee, which is scheduled to meet in Delhi on Thursday. The committee has already cleared a list of names for nine constituencies. Names for the rest of the eight constituencies are yet to be finalised.
Unlike in some constituencies, only one name has been recommended to the Central Election committee, from Shimoga - that of Raghavendra.
Udasi’s son in fray
So also for Haveri constituency. Shivakumar Udasi, son of Public Works Minister C M Udasi, is all set to get ticket. Shivakumar (40) is a mechanical engineer, and is into the real estate business in Bangalore. If nominated, he will contest the polls for the first time.
What made Udasi to field his son? “I have only one son. My son has been managing my elections all these years. He is not a novice in politics. It is not my decision to field him. The people of the constituency, and the party leaders want my son to contest. The name is yet to be cleared at Delhi level,” the minister said.
In Belgaum, it appears that the Katti family has the final say. The panel has cleared the name of Ramesh Katti (younger brother of Minister Umesh Katti) for Chikkodi. Ramesh was earlier with the Congress and the JD (S). He is Belgaum District Co-operative Bank president and owner of a sugar factory.
The party is yet to recommend any name for the Bellary reserved constituency. However, on Wednesday, Health Minister Sriramulu agreed to field his sister Shanti from Bellary. She may be the lone BJP woman candidate in the State.
From Mangalore, the party has decided to field a long-time party worker - Nalin Kumar Katil. But former minister Dhananjay Kumar is also lobbying in Delhi to get ticket to contest from Mangalore.
In a surprise development, the party is contemplating fielding Minister Ramachandra Gowda from Bangalore North. Even the name of sitting MLA Dr Ashwathnarayan is making rounds. The party is yet to finalise candidates to Bangalore Central as well as Bangalore rural constituencies. Yogeshwar, Congress MLA from Channapatna, may join the BJP to become Bangalore rural candidate. For Bangalore Central, former MLA P C Mohan may be the party’s choice.
In case of Kolar, instead of D S Veeraiah (as planned earlier) a Congress leader may be fielded; or a person opposing the candidature of Congress MP K H Muniyappa may be picked, sources in the party said.
The other names being considered are: Nijalingappa and Janardhana Swamy (Chitradurga); Raja Amaresh Nayak (Raichur); Shivaramanagoud or Dr Hallappachar (Koppal). The name of A R Krishnamurthy has been finalised for Chamarajanagar. Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli will contest from Bidar, while minister Revu Naik Belamagi will take on Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in Gulbarga.
The party is finding it tough to get a suitable candidate for Hassan, a Vokkaliga-dominated constituency. Jyoti, wife of JD (S) MLC B R Gurudev is being considered for Hassan. Sacked NCW member Nirmala Venkatesh will join the BJP on Thursday.