Bangalore: Yeddyurappa's Future Could Rest on Three By-polls
By V S Karnic
Bangalore, May 12 (IANS) Results of by-polls to three Karnataka assembly seats, due Friday, could impact the standing of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) beleaguered Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Winning all three seats is a prestige issue for Yeddyurappa, battling dissidence over his continuing in the post in view of the serious corruption charges against him.
The three seats are Jagalur in Davangere district, Bangarpet in Kolar and Channapatna in Ramanagaram. The by-polls were necessitated as Congress lawmakers in Jagalur and Bangarpet and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislator in Channapatna quit the seats to join the BJP.
Voting took place for the three seats April 9 but counting was not done in view of the assembly polls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam.
Yeddyurappa, who completes three years in office as BJP's first chief minister in Karnataka and south India May 25, has been plagued by dissidence all through his tenure.
To make things worse, the third year of his rule has been marred by charges of favouring his kin with prime land in and around Bangalore, allegations of corruption and flak for failure to prevent rampant illegal mining.
BJP ministers and lawmakers, unhappy with Yeddyurappa's style of functioning and concerned over the possible damage to the party's image due to the various scams surrounding him, had mounted a campaign ahead of the by-polls for his removal.
State BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa led a delegation of party dissidents to New Delhi in March to inform central leaders "of the grievances of some ministers and legislators".
However, since by-polls were round the corner, the central leaders advised the dissidents to sink differences and work for victory in the three seats.
The BJP, Congress and JD-S are locked in a three-cornered contest for the three seats. All say they are confident of winning all the seats.
The Congress and the JD-S campaign was focused on scams surrounding Yeddyurappa.
The chief minister, who took over in May 2008, is banking on 'development' in the state.
A BJP win in at least two seats would help Yeddyurappa in his battle with the dissidence. Otherwise pressure would increase on the central leadership to seriously consider the demand for leadership change in the state.