Playing a strategic move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
is reportedly expected to appoint Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje as the party
president soon.
Karandjale, a Vokkaliga, is the topmost contender for
the post as the party is now attempting to tread tactfully in the State after
suffering lose in the Karnataka Assembly Elections almost 5 months ago.
While former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa
is pushing for his son to be nominated for the position, the other contenders
in the race are CT Ravi and the party’s State vice-president Vijayendra
Yediyurappa.
The BJP is attempting to woo the politically powerful
Vokkaligas, which are largely concentrated in the southern or Old Mysuru region
of the State, as the party hasn’t performed well here in comparison to other
regions of the State.
Old Mysuru is the biggest region of Karnataka with 51
Assembly seats.
Karandlaje, a member of the Vokkaliga community, is a
Lok Sabha Member of Parliament representing the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru
constituency.
The BJP also recently declared its ties with the
Janata Dal Secular (JDS) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This partnership
is mainly important in Southern Karnataka, where the Vokkaligas form a
substantial part of the population, strengthening the BJP’s voter base in the
area.
Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is presently serving as the
president of the State unit, was given an extension after he completed his tenure
last year.
He was supposed to remain in his position until the
Assembly elections are over. However, after the party’s defeat in the State, it
has not named a replacement yet.
NE Watch Desk
