Gheraoed by party workers, Yediyurappa forced to cancel 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre'

Notably, the national leadership of BJP is banking on BS Yediyurappa, for the poll campaigns.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was forced to cancel 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre', a BJP election in Chikkamagaluru district, after being gheraoed by party workers backing party national general secretary CT Ravi.

The incident comes a day after Ravi objected to Yediyurappa's declaration that his son BY Vijayendra would contest from the family stronghold Shikaripura in Shimoga district in the upcoming elections.

Amid high drama, Yediyurappa arrived to lead the BJP's Vijay Sankalpa Yatra in Mudigere. Soon, party workers gheraoed his car, urging that an assembly ticket not be given to MLA MP Kumaraswamy, who is hopeful of getting ticket from the Mudigere constituency.

The group opposing the MLA had reportedly even planned to submit a memorandum to Yediyurappa, expressing their opposition to Kumaraswamy being given the ticket. Repeated attempts by Ravi and other BJP leaders to pacify both sides, with an appeal to allow them to carry on with the roadshow and rally, were not successful.

Upset over the behaviour of the party workers, B S Yediyurappa did not get down from the car and expressing his discomfiture against the leaders, returned to Chikkamagaluru.

Some of the party leaders see Kumaraswamy, known for his unfiltered comments, as a liability to the party and demanded for his removal.

Objecting to Yediyurappa's statement on his son's candidature from Shikaripura, Ravi said that decisions on candidates cannot be made in their kitchen or home.

"It's not about (BY) Vijayendra...I said that in BJP, Parliamentary Board makes decisions about tickets. Decisions aren't taken in kitchen cabinet. Where does JD(S) make such decisions? In family kitchen. That's not how it is done in our party," CT Ravi said.

"One can't convince the entire party and the entire government and get themselves a ticket. Like how Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv Gandhi became the PM, that kind of opportunity won't happen here. All I can say is the decision to give tickets does not take place in the family," he added.

Notably, the national leadership of BJP is banking on BS Yediyurappa, for the poll campaigns. But, the party high command is not in favour of giving ticket to Vijayendra or party post to avoid allegations of dynastic politics.

On the other hand, the Basavaraj Bommai government is facing multiple allegations of corruption.

The opposition Congress had launched a mock campaign PayCM to highlight allegations that the ruling BJP was extracting 40 per cent commission from builders, contractors and others.