Bengaluru: The senior leader of the State BJP Former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa, a seasoned politician in South India, has been out of the electoral fray for the first time in four decades of politics. BJP is also facing the first election without Yediyurappa in the fray. This is the election that is providing opportunity for a new leadership for the BJP, and Former Minister Eshwarappa and Haladi Srinivasa Shetty have also withdrawn from the fray. BSY is one of the main contributors to the BJP’s rise to power in the state, like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. Yediyurappa will be credited with bringing the party to power twice by playing politics tirelessly till he came to power from just two seats in the Assembly.
After entering the Legislative Assembly in 1983, Yediyurappa has contested all the elections held till 2018. In four decades of politics, Yediyurappa has faced elections a total of 9 times including 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2018 and has won 8 times except once in 1999. During this period, he got the distinction of being the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Chief Minister four times. Currently, the wind of change is blowing in the state BJP and it is ready to make room for a new leadership. Thus, Yediyurappa has bid a goodbye to electoral politics as advised by the High Command. Therefore, Yediyurappa has not contested in the 2023 elections and this is the first in four decades.
Though BSY is not in the electoral arena, he is still at the forefront of the campaign arena. He is touring the state betting on party’s victory. Yediyurappa, who had been campaigning till now by submitting his candidature, is campaigning for the first time without submitting his candidature. More leaders have joined his ranks.
Prominent among them are K. S. Eshwarappa and Haladi Srinivasa Shetty. Former Minister K. S. Eshwarappa has faced elections continuously from 1989 to 2018. Eshwarappa, who faced elections in 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2018, contested elections 7 times between 1999 and 2018, won five times and lost twice. He has also served as Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. Now he has bid farewell to electoral politics by following the direction of the party to support the growth of the youth. Although not in the election arena, he continues to be active in politics and is busy in campaigning on behalf of the party’s candidates.
In the state BJP, the two top leaders who worked hard to build the party and bring it to power are Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa. The contribution of these leaders is unique in the development of Shivamogga District. Although they did not enter politics together, they announced their farewell to electoral politics together.
Another one who joins this line is Haladi Srinivasa Shetty, popularly known as Vajpayee of Kundapur. He has been continuously elected since 1999 and has announced his retirement from electoral politics. For the first time in two and a half decades of political life, he is out of the electoral arena. Shetty, who contested a total of five times in 1999, 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2018, has the honour of winning as an independent candidate in 2013 despite the BJP split. He has the record of winning all the elections held. But he agreed to the experiment by staying out of electoral politics to bring the youth to the forefront and give space to the party newcomers.