As Karnataka BJP open sniping continues, talk returns of ‘the hand of B L Santhosh’

Vijayendra’s remarks were a barely disguised swipe at party rivals opposed to Yediyurappa’s leadership in Karnataka, who kept his position rocky during his tenure as Chief Minister between 2019 and 2021. In particular, Vijayendra seemed to be hinting at BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, suggesting that his ongoing rivalry with Yatnal was a proxy for the continuing feud between the Yediyurappa camp and that led by Santhosh in the state.

Yediyurappa is considered the tallest leader of the Lingayats in Karnataka, who is keen to pass on the mantle to son Vijayendra. Yatnal, also a Lingayat, is seen as propped up by Santhosh and others to break that monopoly.

“That Yatnal has no qualms in regularly attacking one of the senior-most BJP leaders in the country, Yediyurappa, is a clear indication that he is confident of the backing of someone up top in the BJP chain of command,” a BJP leader said.

The Santhosh camp in Karnataka has been much weakened since the Assembly elections last year when candidates supported by him lost badly. Yediyurappa and Santhosh had openly disagreed over the selection of candidates.

In the aftermath of the loss, Santhosh loyalist Nalin Kateel was replaced as the Karnataka BJP chief, with first-time MLA Vijayendra. A Yediyurappa loyalist, R Ashok, got the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The control of the BJP Karnataka unit thus passed back entirely to Yediyurappa and son.

The Yatnal episode is seen as Santhosh’s bid to wrest back control.

A BJP functionary, who did not want to be identified, said that around the time of the 2023 Assembly elections, “some senior BJP leaders backed Yatnal to attack Yediyurappa and Vijayendra over corruption issues”. “He also made headlines by pushing for reservation for the Panchamasali sect among the Lingayats, thereby causing fissures in the community.”

After the Assembly poll results in 2023, Yatnal accused Yediyurappa of “adjustment politics” with state Congress leaders and blamed it for the party’s poor show. When Vijayendra was made the Karnataka BJP president, Yatnal accused Yediyurappa of “blackmailing” the central leadership and warning them of “consequences in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls” to secure the berth for his son.

Since then, Yatnal has been unceasing in his attacks on Vijayendra, with the three notices served to him by the BJP disciplinary committee making no difference. Yatnal’s decision to hold a protest in Delhi over a Waqf land row is also in defiance of party orders. The state unit had announced three teams to tour the state over the issue, but Yatnal and his supporters announced their own campaign.

Earlier, Yatnal and others identified with the Santhosh camp such as former ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Kumar Bangarappa did not participate in a ‘Mysuru Chalo’ padayatra organised by Vijayendra on the alleged MUDA scam against CM Siddaramaiah and wife Parvathi.

Recently, after the BJP lost all the three bypolls in Karnataka, Yatnal blamed “the politics of internal understanding with Congress leaders”.

Vijayendra said he had little to do with the show cause notice against Yatnal. “There are demands from party workers to act against him.”

The Yediyurappa camp points out that a truce meeting held in September with the Santhosh group, where senior RSS leaders issued directions to them to patch up and stop issuing public statements, also appears to have come to a nought.

Some believe the BJP central leadership is not too concerned about the factionalism in the state unit as it serves to keep local leaders in check.

Over in Delhi, Yatnal said he had not officially received any notice, and implied that Vijayendra could have forged signatures on it. “When I receive the notice, I will respond to it.”