On Saturday night, BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra, held a meeting with Lingayat strongman in Varuna, former Director General of Police, L Revannasiddaiah.
BJP insiders say that Vijayendra extended an invitation to Revannasiddaiah to join the party. However, the former DGP has remained silent on the issue and has said that he will talk at an “appropriate time.”
Vijayendra, who arrived in Mysuru on Saturday, drove straight to Revannasiddaiah’s house. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Vijayendra said that he had “come to seek Revannasiddaiah’s blessings”.
A senior Congress leader says that Revannasiddaiah has been upset with Siddaramaiah for neglecting him over the past five years.
The former police officer and Lingayat strongman, who had defected from BJP to Congress in 2013, had helped Siddaramaiah get support from the Lingayat community in Varuna.
In the 2008 election, Revannasiddaiah had contested from a BJP ticket against Siddaramaiah in Varuna and had lost by a margin of 18,837 votes. The former DGP, who then hopped from the BJP to Congress, may now return back to the saffron party.
“Siddaramaiah had promised Revannasiddaiah a ticket to contest from Varuna in 2018 when he lured him into the party right before the 2013 assembly elections. With the two leaders displaying an image of solidarity, it was easy for Siddaramaiah to win over the Lingayats. At the time, he had also promised to make Revannasiddaiah an advisor in the government but that never happened,” the Congress leader said.
According to Congress insiders, Revannasiddaiah became unhappier after Siddaramaiah made former police officer Kempaiah the advisor to the Home Department. “He (Revannasiddaiah) was not at all happy. After all the work he did to ensure that Siddaramaiah won, he was sidelined and never given any perks. He is now thinking of joining the BJP,” the Congress leader added.
Revanasiddaiah, who had political aspirations, had wanted to join JD(S). Since his aspirations were not met, he joined the Congress in 2004 and contested from Chamundeshwari constituency. However, Revannasiddaiah had lost against Siddaramaiah, who was then with the JD(S).
When Siddaramaiah quit JD(S) in 2006, JD(S) chief, HD Deve Gowda held talks with Revannasiddaiah and tried to lure him into the party. Deve Gowda had then wanted to field Revannasiddaiah against Siddaramaiah in the 2006 bye-poll in Chamundeshwari.
Revanasiddaiah, however, did not join JD(S). In 2008, during the Assembly elections, he joined the BJP after accepting an invitation from Yeddyurappa. He had once again contested against Siddaramaiah. But this time in Varuna.
After the mining scam brought down the Yeddyurappa government, Revannasiddaiah quit the BJP and in 2013, he once again joined the Congress.
“His support is crucial as Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra is a first timer and needs Revannasiddaiah’s support to garner Lingayats votes. He is still considering bargaining with Congress and since they rejected his ticket to Varuna, he is angry,” the senior Congress leader said.