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Journalism of Courage
At least some prominent leaders of Karnataka BJP are unhappy that former chief minister and party Parliamentary board member B S Yediyurappa is back in the driver’s seat of the state unit, having installed his son and first-time MLA B Y Vijayendra as its president, as well as loyalist R Ashoka as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly.
Over the past week, BJP MLAs Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Arvind Bellad, as well as former state ministers C T Ravi and Arvind Limbavali, have criticised these appointments. Yatnal, who has a history of lashing out at Yediyurappa and Vijayendra, said he had informed the central observers about “those who were disloyal to the party” and made “adjustments” with the Opposition during the Assembly polls earlier this year.
It was a barb aimed at the Yediyurappa camp, against which the camp led by BJP general secretary B L Santhosh had also made similar allegations after the BJP’s dismal show at the polls. In fact, a majority of the leaders and workers who have expressed their unhappiness about the new appointments are from the Santhosh camp.
“The BJP should not become a party of one family. Workers won’t accept it,” Yatnal said on Friday, after he had walked out of the BJP Legislature Party meeting along with MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, in which, earlier in the day, Ashoka had been elected as the LoP.
Like Yatnal, Bellad was an aspirant for the LoP post. At the Legislature Party meeting, he had argued that having an LoP from North Karnataka would help the BJP win more seats there in the Lok Sabha elections. But that was not to be. He, though, welcomed Ashoka’s appointment, “keeping party interests in mind”.
Both Yatnal and Bellad are from the dominant Lingayat community and form a majority in North Karnataka. Yatnal, a firebrand leader, has cultivated a large following among the Panchamasali subsect of the Lingayats, since their agitations in 2021 and 2022, demanding 2B reservation for the community.
Last week, Limbavali, who has been the BJP general secretary several times, said party members were asking if Vijayendra had any qualification to be appointed as state president, other than being Yediyurappa’s son.
Jarkiholi is another senior state BJP leader who is known to harbour reservations about Vijayendra, after their relationship turned sour during the former’s tenure as minister in the Yediyurappa Cabinet.
Though there are fears that sidelining these leaders could be counterproductive, party leaders dismissed these, claiming that come the Lok Sabha polls, everyone would be found working for the party’s success.
Trying to calm the swirling speculations of disgruntlement, Vijayendra on Sunday said Yatnal’s remarks had been misinterpreted. “He is free to express his opinions… He might have aired his grievances. We will find a solution, in consultation with seniors and national leaders,” he said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, BJP MLC Chalavady Narayanaswamy said he expected a compromise to be reached soon. “There won’t be any major impact on the party. Vijayendra has started taking everyone into confidence,” he said.
