I want to be Karnataka BJP president, says Somanna

Senior BJP leader V Somanna on Friday said he wants to lead the saffron party in Karnataka and claimed that he is best suited to galvanise the unit after its drubbing in the Assembly election.

Somanna's public claim to become the BJP state president is an indicator that the position could be up for grabs with the party top brass looking to replace the incumbent Nalin Kumar Kateel.

At a news conference to make his bid for the post, Somanna said he has written to party leaders about his aspiration to lead the party.

"I have asked them to test me for 100 days in the position. I am confident that I will bring sweeping changes in the functioning of the party, which urgently requires upliftment, especially the morale of party workers,” Somanna said.

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The 72-year-old Lingayat leader said he is the "better candidate" for the post given his seniority in terms of age and experience.

With this, Somanna joins the likes of union minister Shobha Karandlaje, former deputy chief ministers R Ashoka and Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, former minister V Sunil Kumar, former union minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and BJP national general secretary C T Ravi whose names are doing the rounds to lead the party in the state.

Somanna said he has demonstrated "utmost sincerity" in his 15 years of association with the BJP. "I have never disregarded the high command’s simplest wishes. Even when they asked me to change my constituency from Govindaraj Nagar to Varuna and Chamarajanagar, I did it without even flinching my eyelid,” he said. Somanna lost from both Varuna and Chamarajanagar.

“I am a workaholic and in 100 days, I will be visiting various mutts, nonprofits and leaders across the state, besides extensively touring 224 Assembly constituencies," Somanna said.

Taking a dig at his rivals within the party, Somanna said that the BJP is not all about leaders. “My elevation will bring smiles on several lakh workers who are toiling on the ground even if it takes away the smile of 4-5 leaders,” he said.

The BJP is yet to appoint a Leader of the Opposition (LoP) for which the names of Yatnal, Ashoka and Narayan are being floated. The general opinion in political circles is that if a Lingayat is picked as LoP, then the BJP state president will belong to some other community.