“If given a chance, I want to lead the saffron party in Karnataka. I will electrify the BJP party in 100 days. My elevation will bring a smile to the faces of several lakh workers,” the veteran politician and former minister V.Somanna claimed. Somanna said he has written to the party’s central leadership and showed his interest and his aspiration to lead the party. “I have asked them to give me the position and test me for 100 days. I am the best person for the post. I will bring drastic alteration in the working of the saffron party, especially uplifting the morale of the party workers, which is required urgently. I will revive the party and strengthen it before LS Polls.,” the 72-year-old Lingayat leader Somanna said.
It is pertinent to mention that the BJP has yet to appoint a leader of the opposition for which the names of Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, former Union Minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, former Minister V Sunil Kumar, BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi, former deputy CM R. Ashoka, and Dr. CN Ashwath Narayan are coming forward. It is speculated that if a Lingayat will be chosen as the Leader of the Opposition then the BJP State President will be from some other community. Incumbent President Nalin Kumar Kateel’s term ended in August 2022, but due to assembly polls, he was given an extension. Somanna said, “He has shown his greatest sincerity to the BJP party through his long association of 15 years. I have always given respect to the simplest instruction of the party's high command. When I was asked to change my constituency from Govindrajnagar to Varuna and Chamarajanagar, I did the same.” Though he lost from Varuna and Chamarajanagar both the constituencies’ assembly elections. He said, “I faced many challenges successfully given by the party in the past to me. I gave a tough contest against Siddaramaiah. I did not win but I gave a tough contest.”