Bengaluru, 14 March

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile royal family, joined BJP on Thursday at Jaganath Bhavan, BJP office in Malleshwaram. Wadiyar will be contesting from the Mysuru-Kodagu ticket replacing the current MP Pratap Simha.

Taking to social media he said, “I also congratulate Shri Pratap Simha for having successfully served two terms, His commitment to the development of this constituency has laid a foundation for all of us future aspirants to build upon.”

Former chief minister Basavaraja Bommai applauded Wadiyar’s candidature and said the selection sends the right message to the entire South Karnataka.

However, the internet has remained divided over Wadiyar’s candidature. While some people opined that the scion should stay away from politics, others expressed their loyalty to the royal family.

Meanwhile, Congress is considering fielding Suraj Hegde, the grandson of former chief minister D Devraja Urs. This move is anticipated to counterbalance BJP's candidate and potentially sway the electoral outcome in favour of the ruling Congress government.

The Urs family has a storied history of electoral victories, having previously defeated Srikanthadutta Wadiyar, a BJP candidate, in the past. This feat was exemplified in 1991 when Chandraprabha Urs, contesting under the Congress banner, emerged victorious against Srikanthadutta Wodeyar, who represented the BJP in the Mysore constituency.