From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 19: In a sudden change, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s close confidant and personal secretary Kapu Siddalingaswamy has been appointed as Chairman of the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation.
Kannada film actor Shruti, who was actively involved in campaigning for BJP during elections, had been rewarded by being appointed as the KSTDC Chairperson soon after Yediyurappa took over as the Chief Minister.
Siddalingaswamy formally assumed office on Monday morning.
The sudden decision of withdrawal of Shruti’s appointment and appointment of Siddalingaswamy in her place has given room for speculation of some swift political developments within the ruling party.
Kapu Siddalingaswamy was very close to Yediyurappa and when the latter broke away from BJP to form his own political party, Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), in 2013 ahead of the State Assembly elections, Siddalingasway was fielded as KJP candidate against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from his Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru in the 2013 polls. Though Siddalingaswamy lost in the election, he secured sizeable number of votes.
Siddalingaswamy had served as Yediyurappa’s personal assistant for several years. However, after Yediyurappa became Chief Minister in 2019, his son and State BJP Vice President B Y Vijayendra is said to have banished Siddalingaswamy and he came back into Yediyurappa’s camp.