In an exclusive interview with NewsX, our sister organization, B.Y. Vijayendra shares his political journey after BJP decides to field him from Shikaripura.
Q: The next generation of the BSY family is going to contest the poll finally from Shikaripura after the initial din over your fighting from Varuna constituency. What is your opinion about this?
A: I would like to say that I am blessed to fight my maiden poll from Shikarpura Assembly constituency, simply because this is a seat from where my father fought and won on eight occasions. Thus, I am happy about this.
Q: Well, you have been a state president. You’re quite popular with the youth also. Wherever you go, you are seen as a youth icon as a crowd puller. What is the experience you have inherited after belonging to a political family? Your father has been a 4-time Chief Minister of the state. Please share your experience.
A: Of course, this is my debut. But from 1999 onwards, I have been working behind the screens across various Assembly and Parliamentary polls. It is nothing new for me. I have travelled quite extensively during Parliamentary elections. Thus, electoral politics is not new to me.
Q: Your father has been Chief Minister of the state on four occasions. He has been instrumental in shaping the party right from his Jan Sangh days. Do you think people have lots of expectations from you after it was decided that you would fight from Shikarpuram?
A: Why pressure? Firstly, it was not Edura Phaj’s decision. It was the decision of our senior party candidates from our constituency. When Edura Phaj declared that he is not going to fight anymore election, they wanted me to fight from Shikharipura itself. Thus, question of pressure does not arise at all. It is a home turf for my father and brother as well.
Q: There was buzz that you are going to contest against Siddharamaiah. That would have been a great launch for you. Forget about the results, but the optics of it would have been great. What actually happened? Why did AD Europe Project put his foot down and said, no, he is going to contest only from Sikharipur?
A: It is basically due to the pressure from our constituency. Ad Europe Project generates huge affection among the people of Sikharipura constituency. Of course, he has been representing Shikaripuram for the last four decades. So naturally, he has that affection towards the Shikaripuram constituency.
Q: What are the main issues in the elections this time?
A: Congress is trying to build a wrong narrative. Of course, as a principal Opposition party in Karnataka, what else can you expect? But I am sure the people of Karnataka know the benefits of double-engine car. I am glad to say that the programmes, given by Prime Minister, by the central government and also by the state government, have touched each and every house in the state of Karnataka. So, I am 100% sure people will bless BJP.
Q: Well, we saw Burka as an issue. Then, we saw the Tipu Sultans was an issue. There was division on the religious lines. What is your line of thinking on these lines? Should election be fought on these planks?
A: See, BJP always believes in development plan. The party would love to face election on development plans and it has delivered what they had promised in that manifesto. So these are the issues which have been raised by the Opposition parties, not by the BJP.
Q: Lingayats have traditionally been with the BJP. There were whispers that the Lingayat community was upset. Now, there was a new caste equation which was brought, a new reservation policy of 2 %. Your views.
A: This is not new in Karnataka. If you remember, during last Congress tenure when Siddharamayur was about to complete his tenure, they tried to create a confusion. They tried to create division between Vireshava and Lingayat. But by the end of the day, they could not succeed. And Ederupadhyay was the state party president at that juncture.
So they can’t fool people again and again as the people of Karnataka are mature. They know the hard facts. They will support BJP.
Q: 2% reservation given to Vokkaligas and Lingayats. Is it going to be an issue at all in this election?
A: Firstly, Congress failed to address all these issues. Reservation issue is not today’s or yesterday’s. It has been there from last three or four decades. But that Congress party was in power. They could not do justice. They could not resolve this problem. But today we are glad to say that the present chief minister was bold enough to address this issue. Not only Lingayat or Vokkaliga community, SC/ST and other backward classes are also happy with the government of Karnataka’s decision on the reservation policy.
Q: The BJP is now shifting gears. We have seen that 51 new faces have been given tickets.
A: Firstly, we are grateful to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, and also Home Minister Amit Shah. See, BJP is a party which strongly believes in democratic principles. When you talk about the finalisation of candidates, a strong opinion was sought across the state from the party workers. Reporter
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