BS Yediyurappa’s son emerges as new leader

The community has tended to vote for the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress whenever the JD(S) fell out of favor. The BJP, meanwhile, has been seen as a Lingayat party due to the leadership of CM Yediyurappa.

Karnataka chief minister’s son BY Vijayendra has ensured two significant victories in for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the last one year.

While the bypoll win of party candidate Narayan Gowda on the KR Pete seat last year was dismissed as a fluke by many analysts, the result in the favor of BJP’s Rajesh Gowda in Sira assembly constituency has pitched Vijayendra as a likely inheritor of BS Yediyurappa’s legacy in the state.

Significantly, both KR Pete in Mandya district and Sira in Tumakuru are dominated by the Vokkaligas – the second largest community in the state.

The community has tended to vote for the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress whenever the JD(S) fell out of favor. The BJP, meanwhile, has been seen as a Lingayat party due to the leadership of CM Yediyurappa.

Analysts believe that Vijayendra has his father’s knack of taking people along unlike his elder brother, Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra, who is perceived to be more reserved.

Political Analyst Manjunath said, “While Vijayendra is yet to hold any elected office while Raghavendra has already been an MLA and an MP, it is a fact that it is Vijayendra who has the charisma, a natural political instinct which marks him out as the one most likely to inherit his father’s legacy.”

Vijayendra, however, had dismissed any speculation of taking the reigns from his father, saying that the family is united and there is no internal rivalry.

The vice president of the party’s state unit has dealt with his share of controversies, with the opposition accusing him of having a major say in the administration even thought he does not hold any post. He has also been accused of corruption, but he dismissed the charges as the “price I pay for being the bridge between the CM and people as well as party workers”.

Responding to the growing clamour for him to contest the Basva Kalyan bypoll, Vijaydenra said “will take up any responsibility given by the party”, even as the chief minister dismissed the speculations.