Which way will KJP go?

Bangalore: Around this time last year, he was in a tearing hurry to launch a new political outfit and wreck the prospects of the BJP in elections to the Legislative Assembly.

A year later, former chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa has realized the futility of breaking away from BJP and has made all the right moves to stage a home-coming. During the year, the Lingayat strongman lost the plot as his nascent outfit managed to win only six seats, much less than that anticipated by the leader, leaving no room for him to play the role of a kingmaker.

Besides, he has also realized that protests and sit-in launched by him, both inside and outside the legislature, have not helped him gain political mileage.

His prolonged protest demanding an extension of benefits of ‘Shaadi Bhagya’ to poor brides of all castes and communities did not yield any result though he carried on his sit-in inside the Assembly. 

The KJP leader has convened a meeting of the executive on December 9, exactly a year after the launch of the outfit at Haveri, to discuss the future course of action particularly in the run-up to next year’s elections to Lok Sabha.

He and his supporters are convinced that their regional outfit would not be able to make an impact in general elections unless they either forge an alliance with the BJP or return to that party, and bargain for tickets for themselves or their kin.

In fact, Yeddyurappa has already indicated to his supporters that he would like to contest from his home turf, Shimoga, in Lok Sabha elections and allow his son B Y Raghavendra to enter the fray from Shikaripura Assembly constituency. Besides, a couple of his supporters are keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls from seats in north Karnataka.

Their victory would be easy incase they forge a seat-sharing arrangement with BJP or enter the fray as candidates of that party.

Sources in KJP, however, said the leader has to take a tough call as factions within the party were keen that the leader retains the identity of his party than merge it with the BJP at this juncture.

Among those opposed to the merger are leaders including Shobha Karandlaje and a couple of legislators. The topic of merger has figured in previous meetings, but Yeddyurappa could not arrive at a decision in view of a division of opinion among his supporters.