Karnataka Election 2018: Which Son Will Rise From Varuna?

Varuna, the constituency of Karnataka Chief Minister in Mysuru, is witnessing strong political winds. As Siddaramaiah, who won from Varuna in both 2008 and 2013 with a significant margin is contesting from Chamundeshwari this year, has fielded his son, Dr Yathindra, in the upcoming assembly election. And if speculations are to be believed, the other former first son of the state, son of former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s chief ministerial candidate, B S Yeddyurappa, will also make his political debut from Varuna this year.

This will turn the constituency into a battleground where the sons of the present and former chief minister will battle, a contest earlier dismissed as a cake-walk for the Congress as the BJP had no strong name to field. While the Chief Minister’s son has his father’s past victories to bank on, the former chief minister’s son too has his father’s loyal Lingayat voter base in Varuna to look for support.

“Local BJP leaders and workers in Varuna have been trying to convince the party top brass about fielding Vijayendra,” said BJP Raitha Morcha general secretary Kapu Siddalingaswamy, who had contested against the Chief Minister in 2013 from the Karnataka Janata Paksha, as quoted by The New Indian Express.

While the BJP has not officially announced its candidate, Siddaramaiah has begun campaigning with his son, asking voters to ensure victory for Yathindra with greater votes than they cast for him. As Vijayavani reported, the Chief Minister even invoked the memories of his deceased son, Rakesh, whom he had been grooming for politics, during the campaigning at Daasanuru in Varuna.