Prashant Kumar, former BJP MLA and son of KSDL Board Chairman Madal Virupakshappa, was caught by the Lokayukta while taking a bribe of Rs 40 lakh during election time in Karnataka. So the opposition parties of the state again started making noise that ‘this is a government which takes 40 per cent commission’. But the truth is that this whole incident is believed to be the culmination of a mutual tussle between Yeddyurappa and the Chief Minister of the state, Basavaraj Bommai. Even though initially Bommai was seen as Yeddyurappa’s man, however in the recent past, there were reports of a tussle between the two leaders. It is said that Bommai did not expand his cabinet only because he did not want to make Yeddyurappa’s son a minister. Madal is also a trusted person in the Yeddyurappa faction. But the BJP high command does not want to take the risk of angering Yeddyurappa, who is said to have influence over 100 of the state’s 224 assembly seats. Yeddyurappa also has a significant impact on more than 500 Lingayat Maths in the state. The state’s 17 per cent Lingayat votes prove to be decisive in elections here. When PM Modi reached Shivamogga in Karnataka last week, it was his 5th visit to Karnataka this year, where Modi also addressed a big rally. Yeddyurappa was also seen with the PM at the inauguration of the Shivamogga airport before the rally. Moreover Modi showered praises on the 80-year-old Yeddyurappa and wished him a healthy life, which shows that the BJP high command has firm faith that only Yeddyurappa can reverse their electoral streak in Karnataka.