BJP yet to make inroads into CM’s native district

Even though BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa, a native of Bukanakere in KR Pet taluk of the district, took oath as the 24th Chief Minister of Karnataka, for the third time, on Thursday, the voters of the district are yet to accept the party.

Traditionally, the Congress and the Janata Parivar are the political opponents in the district. Over the past couple of decades, since the rise of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) is having an upper hand in the Vokkaliga-dominated district. This time, the JD(S) has swept all the seven Assembly constituencies in the district.

In KR Pet constituency, where BSY’s native Bukanakere village lies, the BJP stood a distant third with the party candidate B C Manju securing 9,819 votes out of the total 1,74,003 votes polled. The BJP secured just 5.64% of the total votes polled.

Manju, a resident of Bookalli, also KR Pet taluk BJP president, said, Yeddyurappa is always pained that the BJP is yet to a foray in his home taluk and home district.

“After completing his education in Bukanakere and later in Mandya city, Yeddyurappa left for Honnalli along with his guardian Shivakumarappa. He began his political career in Shikaripur of Shivamogga district, in 1965. However, he does not miss the annual puja of his family deity Akkamma Thayi Devaru. Besides, he visits his native on occasions, even though his only family member residing in the village is his sister-in-law Sharadamma Mahadevappa. The late Mahadevappa is Yeddyurappa’s elder brother,” he said.

“When he became CM in 2008, Yeddyurappa showered a host of development projects on the village. He brought Bukanakere under Suvarna Grama Project, sanctioned the multiple-village drinking water project and constructed a model building for the Primary Healthcare Centre. But, he has failed to win the support of the people in favour of the BJP,” he said.

Siddaraju Gowda, a BJP worker since 20 years, from Hosahalli in Mandya city, said, the Mandya district BJP unit has always been neglected by the party’s state leadership for various reasons. “The state committee has not accorded importance for organising and strengthening the party in the district. Whenever an election is declared, outsiders are imposed as candidates. Even if a party worker is fielded in elections, the candidature is announced in the last moment, without any preparations. The party has not taken any steps to groom original workers into leaders, so far,” he said.

H R Aravind, Mandya city BJP president, said, when Yeddyurappa was elected as CM in 2008, he sanctioned huge funds for the development of the district, including the revival of the Mysore Sugar Company, but people are yet to realise his contributions. “Now that he has become chief minister, if he takes steps to groom leaders in the district, by nominating suitable persons to key posts, the party can be strengthened,” he said.

However, people in Bukanakere and KR Pet town celebrated the occasion by offering puja in temples, distributing sweets and bursting crackers. They shouted slogans in favour of Yeddyurappa.