Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will start campaign for by-elections to two Assembly seats from October 17. Veteran leader and former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa will start soon after, from October 20
“I will campaign in Hangal Assembly constituency from October 17, and will dedicate two days for Sindgi from October 20,” the Chief Minister told reporters in Bengaluru on October 15. He said that Mr. Yediyurappa would begin campaigning in Hangal from October 20. “I have already held consultations in this regard with Mr. Yediyurappa,” he said.
Bypolls have turned out to be tricky for the Chief Minister, who will be leading the party’s campaign in the 2023 Assembly polls, as he has to demonstrate his leadership abilities by winning both the seats.
Relief to party
While the party central leadership has takena decision not to field family members of former minister C. M. Udasi, who is very close to Mr. Yediyurappa, the recent income tax raid on a close aide of Mr. Yediyurappa appears to have complicated matters. In this context, party leaders were anxious if Mr. Yediyurappa would campaign in the bypolls.
The decision of Mr. Yediyurappa to campaign has brought relief to those close to the Chief Minister as these two seats have a sizeable chunk of Lingayat votes.
The by-elections have been necessitated because of the death of MLAs C. M. Udasi in Hangal and M. C. Manguli in Sindgi. Voting will be held on October 30 and counting of votes would be taken up on November 2.
MLA’s threat
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister sought to downplay the threat of BJP MLA A.S. Jayaram (‘Masala’ Jayaram) to quit if he was not given a posting in a “better” board or a corporation by November. “I don’t want to comment on the issue. But I would like to say that he is my good friend and that I will speak to him,” he said. The MLA is currently chairman of Karnataka State Spices Development Board.
