Mysuru: Varuna Constituency of Mysuru District came to the fore during the last 2018 Assembly elections due to ticket issue. This time too, attention has been drawn to the issue of competition.
Former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra had made all preparations to contest the 2018 Assembly elections from Varuna Constituency from BJP. At the last minute, the BJP High Command denied him the ticket, so he stayed away from the arena. This time, the Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah is under pressure to contest again. Siddaramaiah has turned to Kolar. But the discussion of Siddaramaiah’s contest has not stopped yet.
Siddaramaiah’s son, who won last time, is Congress’ Dr. Yatindra Siddaramaiah himself is most likely to contest from Congress this time too. Veerashaiva-Lingayats, Kurubas and Dalits are in large numbers in the Constituency. BJP has base in Varuna Constituency at the grassroot level. This time too, despite the clamour for Vijayendra’s contest, after the announcement of Yediyurappa’s electoral political retirement, Vijayendra is contesting from Shikaripura. Thus, the clamour in one faction of the BJP for Vijayendra to contest in Varuna has gone cold. But the number of ticket aspirants in BJP has increased.
BJP’s lotus bloomed in four Zilla Panchayat Constituencies of Varuna Assembly Constituency in 2016 when Siddaramaiah was Chief minizster. Varuna, Hadinaru, Tagadur and Dodda Kaulande Zilla Panchayat Constituencies were won by BJP candidates. Now Tagadur Zilla Panchayat Constituency Member Guruswamy and Hadinaru Constituency ZP member B. N. Sadananda are strong contenders for ticket from BJP. Sadananda is a stalwart of the Co-operative Sector. Acting Vice President of MCDCC Bank and Mysore District Cooperative Union. 49-year-old Sadananda, who has studied Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, had previously served in the Indian Army.
K. P. Siddalingaswamy, President of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, Mysuru District BJP President Mangala Somashekhar, who is also a Former Member of the Zilla Panchayat, Mamata Sivaprasad, a former Member of the Zilla Panchayat, T. Basavaraju, who contested from the BJP last time, youth leaders Sarath Puttabuddi, Devanur Pratap, and L. R. Mahadevaswamy are also aspirants of BJP ticket.
BJP ticket aspirant 41-year-old Sharat Puttabuddi is originally a Software Engineer. After working in America, he returned to the political field last year. His father K. N. Puttabuddi was earlier the first President of the Mysuru Zilla Parishad when the Janata Party Government was in power in the 1980s. Puttabuddi joined the BJP many years ago. Sharath has worked in the Overseas Friends of BJP organisation in America. Ticket has been announced for M. Abhishek from JDS.
Varuna people are still confident that Guruswamy may get ticket from here. Varuna Constituency was formed in 2008 after Constituency reorganisation. Siddaramaiah contested and won in 2008 and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. He won again in 2013 and became Chief Minister. In 2018, he give up the seat to son Dr. Yatindra and contested from both Chamundeshwari and Badami Constituencies, Now he is going to contest in Kolar. However, it is said that Varuna Constituency is safe for Siddaramaiah and he can contest from here.
