Karnataka Lok Sabha polls: Will Yaduveer replace Pratap Simha as BJP candidate in Mysuru?

March 12, 2024 08:37 pm | Updated 09:06 pm IST - MYSURU

Speculation is rife in political circles in Mysuru over the BJP leadership preferring scion of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar over sitting MP Pratap Simha as its candidate to contest from Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency in the coming elections.

Mr. Simha has been summoned by the BJP’s election in charge for Karnataka, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, to Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of the Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency’s Election Management Committee of BJP on Tuesday, Mr. Simha expressed confidence of the party giving him ticket based on his work for the last 10 years, but also added that he would welcome the party’s choice if Mr. Yaduveer is preferred as candidate.

Even though he said he would remain committed to the BJP if he was denied ticket, Mr. Simha listed out a series of disputes between the royal family and the government and hoped that royal family will withdraw cases it had filed in the court if its scion becomes a representative of the people.

Mr. Simmha’s reaction on Tuesday came after he turned emotional during a Facebook live programme on Monday recalling his career as a journalist and his contribution as an MP.

Meanwhile, the BJP leaders in Mysuru convened a press conference on Tuesday and appealed to the party workers against airing their opinion on the speculation publicly. “Our candidate will be decided by the party leadership. We will have to work for whoever the party leadership chooses,” said Mysuru city BJP president and former MLA L. Nagendra.

While BJP MLA Srivatsa appealed to Mr. Simmha not to get emotional, former BJP MLA S.A. Ramdas sought to emphasise the need for people of Mysuru to keep in mind the contribution of the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore.

Meanwhile, Mr. Simmha cited the royal family’s reported opposition to replacement of the old pipeline that passes through the palace atop the Chamundi Hills. If the replacement of old pipeline is allowed, the drinking water project to Chamundi Hills under Amruth will be implemented, he said.

Similarly, he said that though he had brought ₹80 crore for development of Dasara Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, the royal family had laid claim over the lands on which the exhibition grounds stand. Mr. Simmha also referred to the opposition of the royal family to the installation of the statue of late Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swami at the Gun House circle.

Claiming that people of Mysuru stand to get about 2,000 acres of land, including Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel and Lalitha Mahal Helipad, if the cases were withdrawn, Mr. Simmha said he was happy that Mr. Yaduveer was sacrificing the “comforts of the air-conditioned palace” to work for the public by responding to their aspirations.