BS Yediyurappa signals retirement from politics, props son Vijayendra as successor

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said he will be vacating his Shikaripura Assembly seat. The BJP strongman said that his son Vijayendra will be contesting the 2023 Karnataka polls from there.

Signalling the end of his electoral politics, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa on Friday said he will be vacating his Shikaripura Assembly seat and that his son and the party's state Vice-President B Y Vijayendra will be contesting the 2023 polls from there.

Vijayendra, Yediyurappa's younger son, is largely seen as the former Chief Minister's political heir apparent. His elder son B Y Raghavendra is the Member of Parliament from Shivamogga.

This announcement is largely seen as the veteran leader ending his innings in electoral politics. "I'm not contesting, Vijayendra will be contesting from Shikaripura. I pray to the people of Shikaripura with folded hands to make him victorious with a margin bigger than mine," Yediyurappa said.

To a question on the demand from followers for Vijayendra to contest from old Mysuru region, he said, "there is lot of pressure on him to contest from there, but as I'm vacating the seat and will not be contesting, Vijayendra will be contesting from Shikaripura." The 79-year old leader, who began his electoral politics as 'Purasabha' president in Shikaripura, was first elected to the Assembly from Shikaripura in 1983 and went on to win eight times from there.

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Earlier in the day addressing an event in the Assembly segment, he asked the people to continue the cooperation they gave to Vijayendra too. "I pray to you with folded hands to acknowledge our service by making him (Vijayendra) win with a margin of over one lakh votes...I will visit the constituency in the coming days and Vijayendra will come here once a week. I will go to all the 'hoblies' to introduce him and to strengthen the party," he said.

According to sources close to Yediyurappa, the Lingayat strongman will not contest any polls from here on and had made a decision in this regard, when he stepped down as the Chief Minister. Yediyurappa had resigned as CM on July 26, 2021. Age was seen as a primary factor for his exit from the top job, with an unwritten rule in the BJP of keeping out those above 75 years from elected offices; also the high command wanted to make way for fresh leadership ahead of the Assembly polls.