Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday exuded confidence that his son Vijayendra who is contesting the Karnataka Assembly election from Shikaripura will register a win with a margin of 50,000 votes.
The former chief minister who decided not to contest the Karnataka Assembly elections this year paved the way for his son Vijayendra who was allotted a ticket by the BJP to contest from the same seat as that of his father (BS Yediyurappa).
Speaking to ANI, the former chief minister said that his son will get the support of every community in the constituency.
"Vijayendra will win with a margin of 50,000 votes. And everyone insisted that he should contest from Shikaripura because I'm not contesting. So now he is going to get complete support from almost every community," he said.
"Long back, I took the decision not to contest in the election. And where ever I go people give me the same respect as they us to give me when I was the Chief Minister and my people are happy with my decision," he added.
He said that the party will retain power in the state as it has worked for the people of the state.
"Because of our development work in Karnataka, I have no doubt that we are going to get absolute majority and we are going to form the government, nobody can stop it," he said.
Earlier today, the people of Shikaripura were filled with euphoria as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday held a roadshow in the district.
The roadshow came ahead of his son BY Vijayendra's filing of nomination from the Shikaripura Assembly constituency today.
People thronged the roads in large numbers and waved BJP's flag.
Several other leaders across parties will also file their nominations today including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Shiggaon, and Congress leader Siddaramaiah for Varuna.
Congress turncoat Jagadish Shettar filed his nomination today from the Hubli-Dharwad-Central Assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, who got the party ticket from Shikaripura hit out at Congress for creating a divide in the Lingayat community and assured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP enjoy the full support of the community.
This comes after Jagadish Shettar became the second senior leader from the Lingayat community to leave the ruling BJP and join Congress in less than a week. Earlier, former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi joined the Congress.
While talking to ANI, Mr Vijayendra said, "People in Karnataka know who has ditched the Lingayat community. Everyone knows that it was the Congress party that fought against the Lingayat community. So, I am confident, not only the lingayat community but every section of other communities will support BJP and they will support Narendra Modi ji."
"The Lingayat community is not with the family but with BJP. Ofcourse we are happy and proud that they have trusted Yediyurappa's leadership and at the same time they trust PM Narendra Modi ji's leadership also. The community is strongly behind BJP and the Prime Minister," he added.
Exuding happiness for contesting his first election from Shikaripura, Mr Vijayendra said that the constituency has blessed his father for nearly 40 years.
"Shikaripura constituency is important for BJP. For the past 40 years, the constituency has been blessing my father Yediyurappa ji. I am happy that I will be contesting my first election from this constituency," he said.
Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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