Umesh Katti, Minister of Food and Forest, defended the decision of former chief minister and BJP leader B S Yeddiyurappa to withdraw from elections in favour of his son B Y Vijayendra, saying it was a natural process in politics.
“BJP can not be described as a party free of family politics. We are all from political families. Only a few leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi or UP CM Yogi Adityanath do not come from political families. Family politics is a natural process among all political parties,” Mr Katti said in Vijayapura on Monday.
He was reacting to allegations that the BJP was promoting nepotism and dynasty politics, while being critical of the same trend in the Congress.
“My father Vishwanath Katti was a politician. I am a minister now and my son is planning to enter politics. B S Yeddiyurappa has led the state as the CM for several terms and given effective governance. Now that he is 80 years old, he is withdrawing from active electoral politics and is making way for his son. There is nothing wrong in that,’’ he said.
“Mr Yeddiyurappa is moving away from elections as we have a tradition in the BJP that leaders above the age of 75 will not be part of active politics. Other parties do not have such traditions,’’ he said.
