Yeddyurappa seeks to re-establish his dominance from Shimoga

        Shimoga (Ktk), Apr 10 (PTI) Invoking the name of Narendra
Modi, a mellowed B S Yeddyurappa is fighting a critical
electoral battle of his career from Shimoga Lok Sabha
constituency to re-establish his dominance within BJP and
state politics.
        In his second bid to enter Parliament from Shimoga after
the failed attempt in 1991, Yeddyurappa is leaving nothing to
chance though his rivals from JDS and Congress are greenhorns.
        Congress and JDS are using the weapon of corruption
against Yeddyurappa, whose name is often invoked by BJP's
opponents at the national level to deflate the party's anti-
graft plank.
        Yeddyurappa, who has often made it clear that he was not
keen on entering the arena but the party persuaded him to do
so, is invoking the name of Narendra Modi, saying his wave is
here as elsewhere.
        71-year-old Yeddyurappa is facing a serious challenge
from JDS' Githa Shivarajkumar, former Chief Minister late
S Bangarappa's daughter, who has described herself as "clean
and fresh" candidate.
        His Congress rival is a newcomer and a young party worker
Manjunath Bhandari who was office bearer in KPCC at Bangalore.
His candidature has left a bitter taste in the local unit,
particularly with Kumar Bangarappa, son of Bangarappa, who had
also tried for the ticket to contest the elections.
        Shimoga seat was held by Yeddyurappa's son B Y
Raghavendra and the leader with the pan state appeal was
persuaded by his party to contest the Lok Sabha polls, hoping
his presence would prove beneficial to BJP. He had played
spoilsport to BJP in the 2013 Assembly polls when he secured
10 per cent vote share for his Karnataka Janatha Party (KJP).
        After having re-entered BJP with hard bargaining and good
deal of compromise, Yeddyurappa is now trying to find his
space within the organisation despite his four-decade-old
association that ended when he walked out to float KJP. In
this backdrop, the battle now is crucial for him.
        He is seeking votes on the basis of his performance as
Chief Minister, heading the first-ever BJP government in the
South which went into a self-destruct mode with open
infighting and corruption charges against several ministers,
some even landing in jail.
        He is aided by a well-oiled party machinery manned by the
strong cadre base which is carrying out a well-organised
campaign and his RSS background from the age of 15 standing
him in good stead in organisation and management.
        Building BJP in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa had crafted his
political ascent that brought him the Chief Minister's post
which he lost in July 2011 after the party directed him to
resign after the Lokayukta report indicted him on corruption
charge linked to illegal mining.
        Known for game of brinkmanship, highly temperamental
Yeddyurappa has sobered down after the 2013 Assembly polls
that established his capabilities as a spoiler but not as a
powerful political entity. He returned to BJP conceding a lot.
        "I am a mass leader," asserts Yeddyurappa, saying that
makes him the target of attack by opponents. The fight between
his rivals was for the second place, he says.
        Githa, wife of leading Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, is
banking on Bangarappa who had a well-consolidated base in his
home district of Shimoga. Shivarajkumar is a son of Kannada
thespian late Rajkumar, who scrupulously shunned politics.
        "No Modi wave. Only Bangarappa wave," says Githa.
        Bangarappa had served as Chief Minister, three times as
MP of Shimoga and seven times as MLA of his home town Sorab
during his chequered political career of five decades.
        Githa is being given full back up by her husband and her
brother Madhu Bangarappa who is in JDS and estranged from
Kumar Bangarappa. She has also received a good measure of
support in the campaign by Kannada film actor Upendra and
others.
        For the not tech-savvy Yeddyurappa, his youngest daughter
S Y Umadevi is providing backroom assistance as she manages
website, Facebook and twitter accounts. His two other
daughters and two daughters-in-law are also addressing women
groups to drum up support for him.
        Shimoga district in the Malnad region of Western Ghats
has given four Chief Ministers -- Kadidal Manjappa,
Bangarappa, J H Patel and Yeddyurappa -- and two Jnanpith
awardees K V Puttappa and U R Ananthamurthy.
        In recent years, Naxals are seeking to spread their
influence in some hill-covered tracks in Theerthahalli and
Hosangar taluks of the district.
        Out of 16 parliamentary elections held since 1952, the
district has elected Congress candidates 10 times followed
by BJP (3), SP (2) and Karnataka Congress Party (of
Bangarappa) (1).
        Since 1983, Yeddyurappa has been contesting for Assembly
seat from Shikaripur in Shimoga district and won it six times.
        Aam AAdmi party (AAP) has fielded an engineer-cum-social
activist K G Sridhar.
        Out of eight Assembly seats, Congress is holding four,
BJP three and JDS one.
        The proposed ban of cultivation of Areca crop and its
use has caused anxiety and fear among rural voters. According
to official estimates, the crop is providing bread to nearly
six to seven lakh voters and their dependents.
        The Damocles sword of eviction hanging over owners of
Bagar Hukum land (cultivated unauthorisedly in forests) is
another major issue in the constituency.