Tejasvi Surya not BJP's 'star campaigner' for upcoming Karnataka polls
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, which are scheduled for May 10. The list comprised the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eight Cabinet ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah, three BJP chief ministers, and other party leaders. However, surprisingly, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) President Tejasvi Surya's name was omitted.
Controversies
Surya was recently involved in many controversies
Notably, the 32-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru is known for his strong Hindutva politics. A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member, Surya was recently involved in several controversies. These include his attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for visiting an ice cream store, slamming former CM Siddaramaiah regarding the security of locals in Sudan, and "accidentally opening" the emergency exit of an IndiGo plane.
Quotes
BJP wants Surya to concentrate on his constituency
Taking about leaving out Surya, a BJP general secretary in Karnataka told ThePrint that Surya has "to concentrate mostly on his constituency [Bengaluru South] and the Bengaluru region". "That is why he was not included in the star campaigner list," the general secretary said, adding that Surya was previously a star campaigner in states like Tripura.
More information
Former CM Yediyurappa's son also left outÂ
Along with Surya, BJP MP Pratap Simha, and former CM BS Yediyurappa's son BY Vijayendra have also been omitted. When asked about the absence of Vijayendra's name, a source told ThePrint that "one section of the party" doesn't want him to become another Yediyurappa. "That's why despite his legacy and youth appeal, he was restricted to the Shikaripura constituency alone," the source added.