By M K Ashoka

Bengaluru, Apr 15 (IANS): After standing firmly for four decades with former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, the people of Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga district will now decide on the political career of his son B.Y. Vijayendra in the upcoming assembly elections.

Yediyurappa had announced retirement from electoral politics and as per his wishes, the BJP had allotted his son Vijayendra the ticket to represent his father's seat. Political analysts say there is no doubt that Yediyurappa will throw his full weight behind Vijayendra to make him emerge as a powerful leader.

Vijayendra has considerable influence among the Bharatiya Janata Party and its MLAs as he was seen to be a shadow CM during the last tenure of Yediyurappa. Shikaripura was won by Yediyurappa for the BJP in 1983. He defeated his rival K. Yenkatappa by a margin of 22,183 votes then.

Yediyurappa won from Shikaripura constituency in 1985, 1989, 1994, 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018 in the assembly elections. He was defeated by Mahalingappa of the Congress in 1999. Mahalingappa had polled 55,852 votes and Yediyurappa 48,291 votes.

The constituency was represented by his second son B.Y. Raghavendra in the 2014 bypoll. However, the winning margin came down drastically with Raghavendra polling 71,547 votes and his rival H.S. Shanthaveerappa of the Congress getting 65,117 votes. Learning a lesson, Vijayendra has already started touring the constituency.

The constituency has a large number of Lingayat voters (46,000), followed by SC (33,500), ST (20,000), Muslims (26,000), Kurubas (14,500) and Idigas (6,000).

The Congress is yet to announce its candidate. Party sources said they are planning to pitch a formidable candidate in the constituency against Vijayendra. Before Yediyurappa, Shikaripura was considered a safe seat for the Congress.

Vijayendra is upbeat after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to his father Yediyurappa's residence for breakfast and receiving a bouquet from him. Amit Shah had asked Yediyurappa to hand over the bouquet to Vijayendra.

Vijayendra stated that he had already toured the constituency and reached out to every village and every booth. He maintained that he was willing to take up any challenge or task given to him by the party.

However, it is a challenge for him to emerge as a mass leader transcending the limits of caste. Yediyurappa enjoyed the support of Muslims and other communities in the constituency.

Following a disturbing series of events it is to be seen how things work out. The murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and stabbing incidents following the installation of Veer Savarkar's flexes in Shivamogga district has polarized the communities.