Assembly Poll outcome may help BS Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: Results of the recent elections in Maharashtra and Haryana seems to have strengthened the political clout of Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who was sulking under the dominance of BJP’s Delhi bosses.

Although winning the crucial byelections to 15 assembly segments in Karnataka remains a herculean task, the BJP’s unimpressive show in Maharashtra and Haryana elections, and former CM HD Kumaraswamy’s statement that he will not allow the BJP government to fall has given a fresh shot of hope to the veteran Lingayat leader.

The past 100 days since forming the government has not been a smooth sail for Yediyurappa. The Centre’s delay in allocating funds for flood-relief, the deep divide between the CM and the newly appointed BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel and dissent within the party conveyed an impression that Yediyurappa was functioning under duress. Speculation that the party central leadership was keen to find a replacement to Yediyurappa after the bypolls had also added to his worries.