Bengaluru, Oct 23 (PTI) Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday said party leader C P Yogeeshwara joining Congress ahead of November 13 Assembly by-polls was “not unexpected”, and JD(S) has to decide on the candidate for Channapatna.
He said BJP and JD(S) will work together unitedly and ensure the NDA candidate wins in Channapatna.
In a dramatic development, Yogeeshwara on Wednesday quit his party and joined the Congress, which is now expected to field him as candidate from Channapatna.
“Today’s developments were not unexpected, it was expected. Yogeeshwara has special contacts in all the parties, so he had made a political decision. I wish him the best. I along with other BJP leaders will discuss with JD(S) leaders led by H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) will have to decide who is the candidate from Channapatna,” Vijayendra said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, whoever the JD(S) decides, both parties will face the bypolls together, and the BJP will put all its might to ensure the NDA candidate wins, and “I’m confident we will be successful.” “Yogeeshwara quitting the party will not have any impact on the party organisation….whether he is leader in the Old Mysuru region, I don’t want to discuss….our goal is to strengthen the BJP’s organisation in the Old Mysuru region, we will do it. There is no need to be in an illusion that we were dependent on Yogeeshwar for it. We have a strong team of workers,” he added.
Channapatna will go for by-polls along with Sandur and Shiggaon segments. The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.
Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of Kumaraswamy to Lok Sabha from Mandya.
With BJP ceding Channapatana seat to its NDA partner JD(S), Yogeeshwara, the actor-turned-politician, had appealed to leaders of the alliance to consider giving him a ticket from the saffron party. He had also said he had plans to contest as an independent if he didn’t get the ticket.
There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he was not interested in it, sources said. “Instead, he wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate, which was not acceptable to the latter and his party,” JD(S) sources said. PTI KSU RS ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.