Karnataka polls: PM Modi to address farmer rally on Yeddyurappa's 75th birthday

As Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state chief, B S Yeddyurappa turns 75, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka for the third time to campaign for the upcoming assembly polls. A farmers' rally in Davangere scheduled on Tuesday is not just symbolic to endorse B S Yeddyurappa as a strong farmer leader but also reiterate his position as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate in Karnataka assembly elections 2018.

With an unwritten "rule of 75" within the party, many questions have been raised over B S Yeddyurappa being picked as BJP's CM candidate for Karnataka. While Yeddyurappa himself, as well as the party's central leadership, have put away the age factor, dissent within the party was never hidden. The conspicuous absence of K S Eshwarappa, the man who overtly rebelled against B S Yeddyurappa with his Sangolli Rayanna brigade (a union of backward class leaders within the BJP), in PM Modi's Mysuru rally has raised many eyebrows.

PM Modi's third visit to Karnataka comes at a time when rumbles of growing dissent have returned to haunt the BJP ahead of polls. While Tuesday's rally is the first farmer-specific campaign program organised by the BJP, the focus is likely to be on reiterating B S Yeddyurappa's position as a farmer leader as well as the party's CM candidate despite the age factor.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's speeches as well as the budget presented earlier this month, highlighted the Union government's reluctance to waive off farmer loans. The heavily pro-farmer budget presented by Siddaramaiah is likely to make BJP's pitch in the Davangere rally difficult. The rally also comes two days after a video showing a farmer asking uncomfortable questions of BJP National President Amit Shah in Karnataka is doing the rounds. Tuesday's rally is expected to directly reflect on Yeddyurappa's command as a farmer leader in Karnataka and his position in the party as its CM candidate. Leaders within the BJP hope that frequent visits by the central leadership will keep dissent at bay.