An image of his son Bharath at the Vidhana Soudha with industry leaders has ruffled political feathers in what might be the first significant scandal for Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
According to The News Minute, industry leaders such as Azim Premji, Mohandas Pai, and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw paid the incoming chief minister a courtesy call on August 8 to discuss Bengaluru’s industrial development and infrastructure.
The opposition Congress questioned Bharath’s role in the chief minister’s meeting with industrial titans after the photo went viral.
In a tweet on Saturday, the Congress asked if Bharath’s presence had anything to do with continuation of “dynastic politics” and even called him ‘Dhritarashtra’.
The party also made fun of previous chief minister BS Yediyurappa, whose son Vijayendra was dubbed “super CM” and attended important meetings. There was talk that BSY would have to relinquish his throne since his son’s meddling in the state’s day-to-day politics had irritated the party’s top command. Raghavendra, BSY’s other son, is a Lok Sabha MP from Shivamogga. Bharath, unlike Yediyurappa’s sons, is not involved in politics and describes himself as an entrepreneur.
The most notable feature of Bommai’s cabinet expansion was the exclusion of Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra. It was widely assumed that he would be given a lucrative portfolio when he joined the cabinet. However, the high command appears to have opposed Bommai’s request to grant a berth to his mentor Yediyurappa’s son in order to keep the administration functioning smoothly.
Insiders said Yediyurappa was adamant about his son joining the ministry. However, a week after being forced to resign, he appears to have lost his clout in the party.
