'Give me 100 days': Former minister V Somanna pushes for Karnataka party chief position

Former minister V Somanna appealed to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) high command to appoint him the next state party chief.

Published on: Jun 24, 2023, 13:42:49 IST

By Yamini C S

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After losing to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the Varuna constituency during the May 10 assembly elections in the state, former minister V Somanna appealed to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) high command to appoint him the next state party chief. He also asked for 100 days' time to “show” how he can “build the organisation in segments where the saffron party lost in the recent election”, news agency PTI reported.

Former minister V Somanna had contested the May 10 assembly election in Karnataka from Varuna and Chamarajanagar constituencies, both of which he lost. (HT)

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V Somanna had suffered a defeat in the election from Chamarajanagar as well, his second seat. Somanna told reporters that he has faced many elections in his life and has been with the BJP for the past 15 years. "Give me an opportunity. I have 45 years of political experience and I am the one who takes along everyone. Give me 100 days," he told the agency.

"I will do the work if given an opportunity. If not, then I will leave it up to you and keep silent. I have taken this matter very seriously. Our leaders should take me into consideration," he added. Somanna also said he has spoken about the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party national president J P Nadda, Union Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh.

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"I have already met those whom I should have met, except for Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Somanna further said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More