BJP may ask BSY to head poll campaign to woo Lingayats

The party leadership, which is of the opinion that projecting Basavaraj Bommai as the face of the party might backfire, sees Yediyurappa as a leader who has maintained goodwill among the masses

Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to appoint senior leader BS Yediyurappa, who has announced his retirement from electoral politics, as the head of party’s campaign committee ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections, party functionaries familiar with the matter said.

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, on February 22 announced that he was walking away from electoral politics. (PTI)

The proposed move to make Yediyurappa the face of the BJP campaign for the assembly polls, which are due for April-May this year, is aimed at ensuring the support of politically dominant Lingayat community, said a party legislator, requesting anonymity. “An internal survey by the party has highlighted serious anti-incumbency against the Basavaraj Bommai government,” the leader added.

The party leadership, which is of the opinion that projecting Bommai as the face of the party might backfire, sees Yediyurappa as a leader who has maintained the goodwill among the masses. “He is the only mass leader we have and there is no doubt that he will lead that party in the upcoming elections,” said the legislator. “So, making him campaign committee chief is the obvious choice.”

Yediyurappa, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, on February 22 announced that he was walking away from electoral politics. The decision put a question mark on whether the party will continue to get the backing of numerically significant Lingayat community, which boasts of both Yediyurappa and his successor as Karnataka CM Bommai as its tallest leaders. Talking to reporters recently, Yediyurappa appealed to the community, which constitutes about 18% of the state’s population, to continue its support to the BJP. “I am voluntarily retiring from electoral politics. I turn 80 on February 27. Veerashaiva-Lingayat friends shouldn’t misunderstand this. With folded hands, I request the community to support BJP and help it win,” the Lingayat strongman had told reporters a day before his birthday.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who inaugurated the party’s “Vijay Sankalp Yatra” at Nandagarh in Belagavi district on Thursday, said Yediyurappa resigned from the CM post in July 2021 due to health reasons and it was up to the people of the state to fulfil the Lingayat leader’s dream of BJP winning the state polls with a full majority.

“When the son of this soil, Yediyurappa resigned voluntarily after serving the state for long, it had to be respected. When Yediyurappa, who has high stature in the party decided to quit as CM, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the entire Parliamentary Board decided to make him the member of the Parliamentary Board, which is the highest decision making body,” said the defence minister, adding that Yediyurappa’s service can never be forgotten.

On February 24, the former Karnataka chief minister in his “farewell speech” in the assembly said he will continue to strive for the victory of the BJP. “If god gives me strength, I will work for the BJP even in next elections, which are in five years. I have already said that I will not be contesting polls and I will always be grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the respect shown towards me. Till my last breath, my help for the party will always be there.”

PM Modi, who was in Karnataka to inaugurate several projects, said the farewell speech of Yediyurappa has inspired him.