Karnataka: Former CM Yediyurappa Bows Out Of Electoral Politics, Lavishes Praise On PM Modi, To Campaign Across State To Ensure BJP's Return

Former Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader B.S. Yediyurappa, widely credited for playing an instrumental role in catapulting the party to the centre stage of state politics, formally announced on Wednesday (22 February) that he would not be contesting the forthcoming Karnataka assembly election.

Delivering his last speech on the floor of the legislative assembly, Yediyurappa lavished praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that the ruling BJP will return to power in the state.

First elected to the state assembly as a BJP candidate in 1983, the 80-year-old veteran has been a member of the Assembly eight times, representing his traditional stronghold Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga district.

For a party once on the fringes of the state political landscape, the veteran BJP leader powered it tantalisingly close to a majority in two assembly elections.

Though considered as the unchallenged leader of the numerically significant and politically influential Lingayat community, Yediyurappa built an enduring social coalition that included sections of the backward castes, Scheduled Castes (like Madigas) and Scheduled Tribes (like Nayaks) on a Hindutva bedrock.

In 2008, Yediyurappa led the saffron party to power in Karnataka, the first time it formed a government in southern India. The BJP won 110 seats and emerged as the single largest party but fell just short of the halfway mark of 112 seats in the 224-member state assembly. With the support of six independent MLAs, the party formed the government.

After an eventful tenure of over three years marked by several transformational welfare measures and marred by intra-party feuds, he was forced to quit after being named in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining in Karnataka.

In 2012, Yediyurappa briefly quit BJP and formed his outfit Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP). While KJP polled over 6 per cent vote share in the 2013 assembly elections, it caused enormous damage to BJP, paving the way for Congress to come back to power. Yediyurappa returned to the party fold two years later.

In 2018, Yediyurappa again powered the party within striking distance of the majority in the state assembly. The party won 105 seats. While Congress and the JD(S) quickly ganged up to form a coalition government, BJP regained power after the ruling coalition was routed in the Lok Sabha polls. With 20 Congress and JD-S legislators switching allegiance, Yediyurappa was back in the CM saddle.

Just months in to his stint as CM, the state faced unprecedented floods and then followed by global pandemic cause huge disruption to livelihoods in the state. Despite age not being on side, Yediyurappa won appreciation for providing a cohesive response to public health crisis. With murmurs of his close family wielding clout in the corridors of power and central unit deciding to invest on younger leadership, he was replaced by Basavaraj Bommai as the state CM in July 2021.

In his illustrious political career spanning over five decades, the BJP strongman won every election he contested except during the 1999 assembly polls, when he faced a narrow loss to Congress candidate GM Mahalingappa as a massive anti-incumbency wave swept J.H Patel-led ruling Janata Dal government swept out of state.

BJP was in alliance with Ramakrishna Hegde- J.H Patel faction of the Janata Dal in that election.

The 2014 Lok Sabha election was the only time Yediyurappa entered national politics. Contesting as a BJP candidate from the Shivamogga constituency, he scored a landslide victory with a margin of over 3.60 lakh votes.

Despite an invitation from PM Modi to join the Union Cabinet with a weighty portfolio, Yediyurappa refused and vowed to work for the party's return to power in Karnataka. Yediyurappa had previously turned down an offer from then-PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to join his cabinet too.

To Remain In Active Politics

Scotching speculations that he is planning to quit active politics, Yediyurappa promised to go on a whirlwind campaign to highlight the achievements of the BJP government in the State and the Centre.

Yediyurappa said that he was indebted to PM Modi for the position and power given to him.

"I have already said that I will not contest elections," he said. "Even if I do not stand for elections, the kind of respect that has been given to me by PM Modi and the positions that have been given, I cannot forget for my whole life. I will work to build the BJP until my last breath."

In August 2022, Yediyurappa was inducted into the BJP's topmost party bodies: the Central Parliamentary Board and the Central Election Committee.

Rebuffing the suggestion that BJP has marginalised him, Yediyurappa thanked the party and PM for giving him abundant opportunities to occupy coveted government and party positions.

"The BJP and PM Modi did not neglect me. I have been given many opportunities. I became Chief Minister four times and presented seven State Budgets," Yediyurappa said.

"The kind of opportunities given to me has not been given to anyone else by the party. If anyone thinks (she/he) will attack me and I will stay quiet, they are wrong. The government headed by PM Modi is making the country independent, safe and secure and no one can dispute this fact. In a way, the country is emerging as a Vishwaguru." he added.

"Some people feel that if they attack (BJP), the ideals of PM Modi, the party or the RSS, they can get rid of BJP and RSS. This is not true. This is a dream, and they will wake up soon and see the reality. I want all of you to go to your own constituencies and win the hearts of the people".

Praising the state chief minister Basavaraj Bommai for presenting a very good budget, the former CM said, "There is no need to doubt about the BJP's victory in the ensuing elections. The Budget has given funds to the welfare of SCs, STs, OBCs, and other communities. It's a good Budget. I will congratulate Bommai,"

The former CM also criticised Congress leader Siddaramaiah during his budget speech.

"Why are you so afraid to contest from Badami? Have you not done development work there? Why are you deserting Badami? How can voters trust you if you change the constituency in every election?"' he asked.