Bengaluru: BJP top leaders want CBI checkmate for Kulkarni?

Bengaluru: Will BJP worker Yogesh Gowda murder case hurt the political career of upcoming Congress leader and former minister Vinayak Kulkarni? Sources say yes.

The BJP top brass, which is upset with the murder of its worker Yogesh Gowda allegedly by the associates of Vinay Kulkarni, vowed to hand over the case to the CBI.

When Mr Siddaramaiah was the chief minister, Mr Kulkarni had a dream run. But now the Yogesh Gowda case seems to have dented his political image.

The murder case has divided the Yogesh Gowda family. While some gave a clean chit to Vinay Kulkarni, others claimed that he is the main conspirator. There is a possibility of CBI questioning Mr Siddaramaiah too in the case.

Mr Yogesh Gowda was murdered near Saptapura Bavi on June 2016. It is said that Mr Gowda, who was emerging as a counter to Mr Kulkarni, was preparing to fight the jilla panchayat elections.

Mr Kulkarni is being groomed as the Congress’ face of Lingayats in Hubli-Dharwad. He was pitted against BJP bigwigs like former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and present Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Mines Pralhad Joshi.

Mr Kulkarni lost both Assembly and parliamentary elections this time. He was hoping to revive his political fortunes under the Siddaramaiah leadership.