Karnataka: May 9 Yediyurappa event may turn out to be Vijayendra’s show of strength

Bengaluru: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend an event organized by followers of BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka on May 9 to celebrate his 50th year in public life. The event is being closely watched in political circles in both the BJP and the Congress as it aims to project his son BY Vijayendra as a formidable political heir and defeat the ruling Congress in all upcoming elections.

The event, for which close followers of the 83-year-old leader have made large-scale arrangements, will be hosted by the city of Chitradurga in central Karnataka.

50-year-old Vijayendra has completed two years as the president of the BJP in Karnataka and the extent of the success of the event will show his personal charisma and dominance over the party. His followers say the celebrations are also part of Vijayendra’s efforts to lead the BJP to victory in the assembly elections two years later. This is also an attempt to unite different segments of the party that are fragmented due to political differences.

This is a major event organized by some sections of senior party leaders after a long time. It will mobilize party cadres across the state and mobilize the crowds. A BJP leader said that this event will give a big dose of energy to the party when it is needed the most.

Followers of the former prime minister have timed the celebrations to take place before local elections and to strengthen sentiment against the ruling Congress. Besides zilla and taluk panchayats, elections will also be held for five city corporations in Bengaluru. The BJP team is keen to channel public anger, if any, into voting in favor of the BJP, which will help Vijayendra consolidate his position.

The celebrations in honor of Yediyurappa will closely follow the declaration of results in the assembly seats Davanagere South and Bagalkot, which face bypolls on April 9. “We expect the Congress to lose in both cases. Even if they lose one seat, we will intensify our attack on the government,” said a BJP leader.
Organizers of the event invite heads of all important religious mutts and leaders of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community from across the communities. The influential community, which is also estimated to be the largest in the state, has always projected Yediyurappa as the tallest political figure and supported the BJP in the 2018 assembly elections when the party emerged as the single largest party.