Bengaluru/IBNS: The rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka came to the public eye on Thursday as former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was forced to cancel the partys pre-election march in Chikkamagaluru district after being gheraoed by party workers apparently supporting their national general secretary CT Ravi.
Ravi had dismissed Yediyurappas announcement that his son BY Vijayendra would contest from the family stronghold Shikaripura in Shimoga district in the upcoming elections.
This has triggered friction that resulted in Thursdays showdown.
Dramatic scenes unfolded at Mudigere constituency on Friday afternoon as Yediyurappa arrived to lead the BJPs Vijay Sankalp Yatra.
According to reports, party workers and supporters of CT Ravi gheraoed Yediyurappas car.
They demanded that an assembly ticket should not be given to MLA MP HD Kumaraswamy, who is eyeing another term in the Mudigere constituency.
Kumaraswamy, known for his unfiltered comments, is seen as a liability by a section of the party.
With Yediyurappa holding a position on the parliamentary board, party workers hoped that he would be in a position to lobby for other aspirants and deny tickets after he announced his sons candidature from the Shikaripura constituency.
