Siddaramaiah & Yeddyurappa Prep Their Sons for Battleground Varuna

It’s Dr Yathindra vs BY Vijayendra in the contest for Varuna.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home constituency may witness a face off between the Chief Minister’s son and the son of BJP CM candidate Yeddyurappa in the upcoming elections. Siddaramaiah is all set to vacate the Varuna constituency in Mysuru – from where he had won twice – making room for his son Dr Yathindra’s political debut. But the transition may not be smooth with the BJP is raising stakes by fielding the second son of former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, BY Vijayendra, from Varuna.

Both candidates with little political experience are relying on the popularity of their fathers and the caste equations of the constituency. Varuna constituency has 60,000 Lingayat votes, 42,000 SC votes, 24,000 ST votes, 33,000 Kurba votes, and 13,000 Vokkaliga votes.

While Lingayats are considered a BJP vote bank, Vokkaligas are known to vote for JD(S). The Congress’ vote bank in the constituency consists of SC, ST and Kuruba votes. Political games of the parties to swing votes from different communities will be crucial in deciding the outcome of this battle, which remains a matter of prestige for both fathers.

Siddaramaiah and his Son

Siddaramaiah is giving up Varuna constituency, from where he won twice, for his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah to make his political debut.

Siddaramaiah was grooming his elder son Rakesh to enter politics and ensured that his son accompanied him to all political functions to make a name for himself in the political circle. But in June 2016, during his 39th birthday celebrations, Rakesh died of a cardiac arrest in Belgium.

Following his brother’s death, although reluctant, Siddaramaiah’s second son Dr Yathindra stepped into his brother’s shoes. By the end of 2017, Yathindra, a pathologist by profession, had begun his campaign for the assembly election. On 28 June, 2017, Yathindra arrived at the popular Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru to seek blessings for his political career.

Siddaramaiah, who has been visiting Varuna during his visits to Mysuru, has been pitching for his son since.

Yeddyurappa and His Sons

While Yeddyurappa’s younger son Vijayendra will contest against Yathindra, his elder son BY Raghavendra is giving up his Shikaripura seat for his father. However, sources in the BJP suggest that Raghavendra will not be contesting the assembly election. Instead, he would seek mandate to win the MP seat, which will be vacant after his father resigns from the post.

A BBM graduate, BY Raghavendra, made his name in politics by winning 2009 Lok Sabha election against former Chief Minister of Karnataka Sarekoppa Bangarappa in the Shimoga constituency by a margin of 52,893 votes.

Shikaripura in Shivamogga district had been Yeddyurappa's constituency since 1983 from where he was elected seven times. Following Yeddyurappa’s election to Parliament in 2014, BY Raghavendra contested from the seat vacated by his father, and in the subsequent bypolls was seen representing the constituency in the assembly.

Apart from active politics, he is the managing trustee of one of the prominent educational institutions in Karnataka.

Vijayendra on the other hand has been assisting his father in his political activities, with the aspirations to enter politics. Vijayendra, on Monday, performed special puja at Male Mahadeshwara Swamy Hill temple in Kollegal taluk. While addressing the media after the visit, Vijayendra said if the party asks him to take on Siddaramaiah’s son, he will do so

Battle of the Children

The incumbent Karnataka assembly has 37 (out of 224) MLAs, who are children or grandchildren of former MPs or MLAs. The Congress party has the highest numbers, by the virtue of being the major party, with 20 MLAs, while the BJP and the JD(S) has 10 and 7 MLAs respectively, who come from a political family.

Five children of former Karnataka chief ministers – HD Devegowda, R Gundurao, S Bangarappa, N Dharam Singh and SR Bommai – are already part of the assembly. These five are expected to seek re-election. In 2018, the list is expected to get bigger with the children of two more former Chief Ministers JH Patel and Veerendra Patel rumoured to enter the fray.

Parties Shoot Down One-Family-One-Vote Policy

In the months ahead of the polls, Karnataka Congress president G Parmeshwara pitched for a ‘one-family-one-ticket’ policy. The idea, however, was soon shot down by Congress leaders, including incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The reaction was predictable as Siddaramaiah was among the ministers in the current government, who are batting for tickets for their children.

Although this difference of opinion between Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah on policy was dubbed as a conflict within the party, neither the BJP nor the JD(S) used it as political issue to bring down the Congress. Once again, the reaction was predictable, as even in the BJP and the JD(S), several leaders were asking for tickets for their children.

Keeping Children Closer Home

But not all leaders are giving up their seats for children. Some are getting their children tickets in constituencies adjacent to theirs, which comes under the sphere of influence. Like Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who has chosen Jayanagar constituency for his daughter Sowmya Reddy. Jayanagar is adjacent to Reddy’s home ground – BTM Layout. Sowmya is currently the vice president of Congress youth wing in Karnataka.

Similarly, M Krishnappa, Housing Minister of Karnataka, is getting his son Priya Krishna a ticket in Govindrajnagar seat adjacent to his constituency, Vijayanagar. Priya Krishna who has already won the assembly election in 2013 has already begun his ground work in the area, along with his father.