Bengaluru: With the 2018 elections nearing its time for some celluloid war among the parties. While the Janata Dal (S) is coming out with a Kannada movie, 'Bhumi Putra' to highlight the achievements of the 20-month tenure of its state chief, H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, the BJP is now setting out to produce a movie of its own to show him in poor light and focus on the way he “backstabbed” its state chief, B S Yeddyurappa during the BJP-JD(S) coalition government in the state.

Producing the BJP movie is none other than Ms Tejaswini Gowda, a former Lok Sabha member, who earned the nickname of 'giant killer' after she defeated JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda in the parliamentary elections. A vocal critic of Mr Kumaraswamy and Energy Minister, D K Shivakumar, she has been actively campaigning for the BJP in the Vokkaliga belt of south Karnataka since joining it a few months ago. “Our movie will be realistic and will show how Mr Kumaraswamy backstabbed the BJP by not transferring the baton to Mr Yeddyurappa after taking its support for 20 months and how he colluded with Mr Shivakumar to bring down the Yeddyurappa government. The film will also highlight the performance of BJP government, including the scandals that rocked it, “ Ms Tejaswani told DC.

Although several titles like 'Negila Yogi', 'Kayaka Yogi' and 'Karma Yogi' have been suggested for the film, no final decision has been taken on it as yet. A leading Kannada actor could play the role of Mr Yeddyurappa, according to her.

The movie will be funded by party workers, who are volunteering to contribute Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh per head for it, but no funding will be accepted from corporate houses or big businessmen, Ms Tejaswani reveals. 'Bhumi Putra' is being directed by S Narayan with multilingual star, Arjun Sarja playing the role of Mr Kumaraswamy.

HDK: I wish them best of luck
State JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy welcomed the BJP's plan to make a movie on their state president and former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa. He said "I have no connection with 'Bhumi Putra' as my life is like an open book and known to people. I will suggest to my BJP friends to include some points such as D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar's charges of corruption against Yeddyurappa. I wish them best of luck".

The JD(S) leader claimed that he did not try to finish off anyone politically including Yeddyurappa and added that the BJP leader knew well who cheated him.

“Let them recall how they treated me during the 20 month rule of the JD(S)-BJP coalition government(2006-07). Yeddyurappa did not allow me to waive farmers’ loans. Will they show all these hard realities in the movie," he wondered.