Bengaluru: Even as the BJP High Command is mulling on fielding Karnataka BJP Vice-President B.Y. Vijayendra from Varuna Assembly segment in Mysuru district to take on Opposition leader and Congress stalwart Siddharamaiah, Vijayendra , who is the son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (BSY), is said to have told the party top brass that he may opt to contest from Varuna only if he is allowed to contest from his home Constituency Shikaripura too.

The BJP top brass along with RSS leaders reportedly met here late into night yesterday to finalise the list of BJP candidates for the May 10 polls. The meeting is said to have seriously discussed the possibility of fielding Vijayendra from Varuna, when Vijayendra is said to have told them that he would contest from Varuna only if he is given the party ticket from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district too.

Vijayendra is also said to have informed the High Command that the people of Shikaripura are forcing him to contest from that Constituency after his father BSY has given up due to age considerations. The BJP leaders in turn are said to have advised Vijayendra that the Party top brass at Delhi would take the final call in the matter.

‘I will contest from Varuna if top brass asks me’

Meanwhile, State BJP Vice-President B.Y. Vijayendra, who was in Mysuru yesterday, said that the BJP High Command would decide on whether he would contest from Varuna or Shikaripura or both.

Addressing party workers at a private hotel here yesterday, Vijayendra said that his father B.S. Yediyurappa has already declared that he would not contest from Shikaripura. In this backdrop, the party cadre in Shikaripura has been urging him to contest from Shikaripura.

“My father Yediyurappa has declared that his son Vijayendra would contest from Shikaripura. Hence I am touring all villages of Shikaripura. Also, the BJP High Command has given me responsibilities of certain key Morchas of the party with the countdown for the Assembly polls having already begun. Since then, I have been extensively touring the State. I am ready to contest from the seat that the party gives me the ticket,” Vijayendra  said.

“The party workers of Varuna who want me to contest from there need not feel disappointed or get confused. The party workers must concentrate on strengthening the party at booth-level,” he said adding that the party workers of Varuna Constituency from where former CM Siddharamaiah is contesting on a Congress ticket, must gear up to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate, whoever he may be.

BSY rules out Vijayendra’s contest from two Constituencies

Former Chief Minister and BJP stalwart B.S. Yediyurappa (BSY), who too made a visit to Mysuru yesterday, said that whatever the suggestion of the BJP High Command may be, his son B.Y. Vijayendra would not forego Shikaripura Constituency, which he (BSY) represented for decades.

Speaking to presspersons yesterday, BSY said that though party workers of Varuna are pressurising Vijayendra to contest from there, his son would prefer to contest from Shikaripura and even he too has told him to get prepared to contest from Shikaripura segment.

Pointing out that he has represented Shikaripura Assembly segment for decades and has earned a lot of love and affection of the people, BSY categorically ruled out Vijayendra’s contest from two Constituencies. As such there need not be any further debates on his son’s contest from Varuna, he maintained adding that the party would field a strong candidate from Varuna.

Yediyurappa’s statement is a complete U-turn that comes just a day after he (BSY) had said that Vijayendra was ready to contest from Varuna to take on former CM Siddharamaiah.