Karnataka chief minister meets Yediyurappa after retirement announcement
India Today
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa at his residence, a day after the former CM announced his retirement from politics.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday rushed to the residence of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa a day after the latter announced that he would not contest Karnataka 2023 polls. Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Friday hinted at his retirement from politics and said that his son and party's state Vice-President B Y Vijayendra will be contesting from Shikaripura constituency.
"I'm not contesting, Vijayendra will be contesting from Shikaripura. I pray to the people of Shikaripura with folded hands to make him victorious with a margin bigger than mine," Yediyurappa said on Friday.
"There is a lot of pressure on him to contest from there, but as I'm vacating the seat and will not be contesting, Vijayendra will be contesting from Shikaripura," BJP strongman said.
The 79-year old leader, who began his electoral politics as 'Purasabha' president in Shikaripura, was first elected to the Assembly from Shikaripura in 1983 and went on to win eight times from there.
After Yediyurappa announced that he would be vacating his Shikaripura constituency, Basavarj Bommai said that Yediyurappa would never retire.
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"Yediyurappa has never retired. In the next elections, his strength and guidance will be there," Bommai said when asked under whose leadership the party will fight the next polls in the absence of Yediyurappa.
