Assembly bypolls: BJP picks former CM Bommai’s son to contest from Shiggaon

The BJP has nominated Bharat Bommai, son of former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to contest the bypolls from the Shiggaon (Haveri) Assembly constituency, a seat vacated by his father after his election to the Haveri Parliament seat. While the party picked state ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu to contest from Sandur, it is yet to decide on the NDA candidate for Channapatna bypolls. 

The former CM, who had earlier denied that his son would enter the fray, said on Sunday he had to bow before the decision of the party high command. “I had no plans to field my son. I had sought some time from the party leadership. But the party announced my son’s name considering the interest of the party and the current political situation. Even the surveys favour Bharat and the party took an unanimous decision, I am told. The party has placed its trust on him and it is our responsibility to ensure the party wins. I would have worked with the same dedication even if the party were to choose any other party worker,” said Bommai. 

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Bharath Bommai, 35, who has an MBA degree from Singapore University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Purdue University in the US, expressed his gratitude to the party leadership and said, “I consider this opportunity as my parents' blessings. The party recognised the good work done by my father in the constituency during his four terms as the MLA of Shiggaon-Savanur. The ticket is also a reflection of the people’s expectations.” 

Bharat also reiterated that he had actively campaigned for his father in the 2018 and 2023 elections. “I toured the entire constituency for the Lok Sabha elections this year. I have maintained contact with the people of the constituency even as my father was busy as a minister and the chief minister,” said Bharat, who is the executive director of seven companies that are into automotive, pharma packaging, earth mover equipment, textiles and business consulting. 

Replying to a question about family politics, Basavaraj Bommai said it was a by-election and a “special situation”. “My party has always believed that the party is greater than the individual, and the country is greater than the party. When senior leaders have placed their trust in me and given the responsibility, stepping back would only mean shirking responsibility. I bow to the party's decision. I owe everything to my party,” said Bommai, who had emerged as the dark horse, when the party decided to replace Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in July 2021. 

Basavaraj Bommai, 64, a Lingayat leader from north Karnataka and a close confidante of Yediyurappa was anointed the chief minister by the party apparently to usher in new leadership and to placate the Lingayat community, which was miffed over the veteran leader’s removal as the CM. 

As son of former chief minister of Karnataka late S.R. Bommai, who founded the Janata Party along with J.H. Patel, H.D. Deve Gowda and Ramakrishna Hegde, Basavaraj had taken the plunge into politics as the political secretary to the chief minister (Patel) in 1996, after completing (mechanical) engineering. He won twice as MLC (in 1998 and 2004) from Dharwad local authorities constituency, but lost the 2004 Assembly elections from Hubli Rural (now Hubballi Central) seat to BJP’s Jagadish Shettar. 

In 2008, Bommai joined the BJP and has since won four times consecutively from the Shiggaon seat in Haveri district. He vacated the seat after winning from Haveri Lok Sabha seat in May this year. As Shiggaon is known to have a sizeable population of Panchamasali Lingayats and Muslims, the party was in search of the right candidate who could hold on to the Lingayat votes against the Congress candidate, who is likely to be from the minority community.