Surprise BJP choice for Varuna amps up competition for Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: It is going to be a litmus test for Karnataka Congress leader and chief ministerial aspirant Siddaramaiah with the BJP fielding strong Lingayat leader V. Somanna against him in the Varuna constituency.

After former chief minister Yediyurappa declined to field his son B.Y. Vijayendra from here, it was perceived that it was going to be a cakewalk for Siddaramaiah. But the BJP has shocked him with a surprise candidate.

V. Somanna, who rose to become one of the top leaders in the state from scratch, is known as a ground level worker with good organizational skills. According to sources in the BJP, Somanna has told the party that he would ensure its victory in four constituencies in Chamarajanagar district besides beating Siddaramaiah on his home turf Varuna.

Siddaramaiah is going to face a herculean task in the constituency as Lingayats constitute the largest voters group. The Lingayat community has been waiting for leadership for decades in the region. With the BJP pitting Somanna against Siddaramaiah, the Varuna constituency is ready for a clash of titans.

According to available statistics Varuna constituency has 2,23,007 voters. There are 53,000 Lingayat voters, 48,000 from Scheduled Castes and Tribes, 23,000 Nayakas, 27,000 Kurubas, 12,000 Vokkaligas and 35,000 other voters.

Siddaramaiah is known as a fearless leader who could take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS head on and is also known for his welfare schemes for the oppressed classes and minorities. He has also successfully challenged the Vokkaliga and Lingayat hegemonies in the state and is eyeing the CM's post if the Congress is voted to power. He has stated that it is his last election and he wants to retire from politics after the next tenure.

The Varuna constituency came into existence in 2008 after the delimitation exercise. In 2008 and 2013 Siddaramaiah won the seat and in 2018 his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah won from here with a comfortable margin. This time, Yathindra has vacated his seat for his father who was in search of a safer constituency.

Siddaramaiah reacting to Somanna contesting against him stated that he welcomed it. "I welcome anyone to contest against me. They (BJP) have roped in Somanna from Bengaluru. Even as he refuses, he is forced to contest from Varuna. The people of Varuna constituency will decide," he said.

Somanna has gambled his political career in the upcoming assembly elections by giving up his Govindaraj Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. He is contesting from the Chamarajanagar and Varuna seats this time. If he fails to make it from Varuna constituency, his gamble might backfire and put his career in jeopardy.

Somanna has stated that it is not about risk, it is about the trust that the party has reposed in him. He said that he is 72 years old now and he very well knew that after 75 years he has to make way for others. Siddaramaiah may be the former chief minister but in this election he is a candidate. Both of us come from the same party (Janata Dal).Sources in the Congress and the BJP said that both the leaders are facing conspiracies within their own parties. Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar, former deputy CM G. Parameshwara were relegated to the sidelines during the tenure of Siddaramaiah.