Housing Minister V. Somanna, who has been sulking over being sidelined in the party affairs, is in a dilemma on leaving the BJP and joining the Congress ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections., with several push and pull factors at play.
Mr. Somanna, a five-time MLA who quit the Congress in 2009, seems to be making a bid to rejoin the party and seek ticket for himself and his son Arun Somanna. The ruling BJP is unlikely to give ticket to both the father and the son.
For father and son
Sources in the Congress said party leaders have held a round of talks with the Minister. Mr. Somanna, who belongs to the Lingayat community, is seeking ticket for the Govindarajanagar constituency in Bengaluru and the Hanur constituency in Chamarajanagar.
Though some Congress leaders are keen to induct Mr. Somanna, a few are opposed to it. Vijayanagar MLA M. Krishnappa (Congress), who is keen on securing a ticket for his son Priya Krishna, two-time MLA, in Govindarajanagar, is said to be opposing the induction of the BJP leader. Three-time MLA R. Narendra of the Congress said he is firm on contesting from the Hanur constituency and the party planning to give ticket to Mr. Somanna or his son is “false news”.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Eshwar Khandre has openly opposed the move to induct Mr. Somanna into the party. Mr. Khandre openly said the party would not benefit from Mr. Somanna and the Minister had not sanctioned houses to beneficiaries in the Congress constituencies.
Why he is upset with BJP
Mr. Somanna, 72, has been elected to the Assembly from the Janata Dal, the Congress, and the BJP since 1994. Recently, he openly admitted that he was upset with the BJP. His supporters said the Minister was upset over not being given a proper post in the party despite him being a senior leader. In fact, Mr. Somanna’s name was also missing from the Election Campaign Committee and Election Management Committee announced by the BJP on Friday.
Mr. Somanna reportedly felt that he was let down by the BJP when he was not made in charge of the party’s Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra launched from the Chamarajanagar district, despite being the district in-charge Minister. The former Minister K.S. Eshwarappa was made in charge of the yatra. The Housing Minister also made his exit midway at Nagarbhavi while the BJP roadshow in his constituency was on, further fuelling speculation about his exit. A “souring” relationship between him and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is said to be the other major reason for him being cut up.
