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Varuna constituency to see fight between Dr Yatindra and former top cop Shankar Bidari?

  • BJP is planning to field Bidari, a Lingayat as the Varuna constituency has majority of Lingayat population
  • Shankar Mahadev Bidari is former police chief and best known for taking on forest brigand Veerappan
  • Dr Yatindra wants to make his political debut from Varuna constituency
Varuna constituency to see fight between Dr Yatindra and former top cop Shankar Bidari

Former top cop Shankar Mahadev Bidari, who is also a member of the BJP, may be fielded against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Dr Yatindra from Varuna constituency in Mysuru district in the upcoming Assembly polls.

After Siddaramaiah announced that he would be contesting from Chamundeshwari constituency, he has 'sacrificed' the Varuna constituency - that elected him twice - to allow his son to make a political debut.

However, the BJP which was still searching for a suitable candidate in this region is reportedly considering to field Shankar Bidari. Bidari is a former state director general and inspector general of police and is best known for taking on forest brigand Veerappan.

The majority population in the Varuna constituency is represented by Lingayats. Bidari who is a Lingayat reportedly enjoys close proximity to the Suttur mutt, a prominent Lingayat mutt in the Mysuru region. This may prove advantageous for Bidari, it is reported.

Besides, there is quite a chunk of Dalits, kurubas and other backward classes in the constituency. BJP leader V Srinivas Prasad, a prominent face of Dalits is expected to campaign for Bidari.

It may be recalled here that Srinivas Prasad has vowed to defeat Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the 2018 election. Prasad who quit Congress to join BJP had suffered a big defeat during the Najnagud by-election. He has been nursing a grudge against Siddaramaiah after he was dropped from the cabinet.

Bidari told Bangalore Mirror that there were speculations about his candidature from Varuna. He was ready to contest if the party asks him to contest from Varuna.

On the other hand, Dr Yatindra is already making his presence felt in the constituency by actively taking part in various public functions. Besides, he is being helped by Public Works Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa in the region that has a good number of dalit and kuruba votes.

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