Held for ‘derogatory’ remark against Karnataka woman minister, BJP MLC and Yediyurappa rival: Who is C T Ravi

Ravi is no stranger to controversy, having drawn flak in the past for his alleged anti-Muslim remarks. Calling Ravi a “filthy mouth”, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday ruled out any “interference” in the police action.

Ravi’s staunch loyalty to the BJP and the Sangh Parivar has been one of the defining features of his political graph. When the BJP government stood on the precipice of a collapse in the southern state in 2010, torn between the factions led by then CM B S Yediyurappa and a group led by the Reddy brothers of Bellary, just a handful of the party’s 117 MLAs were considered loyal only to the party. Ravi was one of them.

Ravi rose through the BJP ranks in Chikkamagaluru, which lies adjacent to the polarised coastal Karnataka region, as a youth leader in the post-Babri era in the 1990s. He played a key role in the Hindu group’s agitation for control of a shrine in the Bababudangiri Hills that is revered by Hindus and Muslims alike.

Ravi, a Vokkaliga leader, became an MLA for the first time in 2004 but was at odds with Yediyurappa, a Lingayat. His politics of hardcore Hindutva and communal comments have often been at odds with Yediyurappa, who is a more moderate leader. Ravi once kicked up a row by referring to Siddaramaiah, the current CM, as “Siddaramullah Khan”.

In 2012, Ravi became a minister for the first time during the tenure of the Jagadish Shettar-led government. He was initially allied with the Ananth Kumar group, which had a big say in the central BJP in the pre-Modi era, and is now considered close to BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, who is one of Yediyurappa’s rivals. Shettar had come to power after Yediyurappa left the party over differences with the leadership at the time.

Ravi’s animosity towards the Lingayat strongman was apparent last year ahead of the state Assembly elections when he suggested that the former CM and his son B Y Vijayendra were no longer dominant forces in the party.

“Just remember one thing. The decision on candidates will not be taken in anyone’s kitchen. Nobody will get a ticket because they are somebody’s son. The decision on tickets will also not be taken at the home of an aspirant,” Ravi had then said, going on to specifically mention Vijayendra. “On the question of Vijayendra, the decision will be taken by the parliamentary board.”

Though his organisational skills make Ravi a key BJP leader in Karnataka, his major drawback is that he does not enjoy the support of any caste group, unlike Yediyurappa. After his comments against Yediyurappa triggered protests from some Lingayat groups, the BJP central leadership reportedly advised him to exercise caution while making statements.

In September 2020, Ravi was appointed the BJP national general secretary. His elevation, during Yediyurappa’s second term as the CM, followed the appointment of Santhosh as the national party general secretary (organisation).

Ravi was a tourism minister in the Yediyurappa government at the time, and considered one of the young frontrunners after the BJP forced the veteran leader out as CM in July 2021. However, the BJP finally played safe and plumped for another Lingayat candidate to replace Yediyurappa, in the form of Basavaraj Bommai.

In the 2023 Assembly polls, Ravi was among the BJP heavyweights who lost. Having won the Chikmagalur constituency in each of the last four elections, Ravi lost narrowly to H D Thammaiah, a Yediyurappa-affiliated leader from the Lingayat community who had joined the Congress.

In July 2023, Ravi was dropped as BJP national general secretary, fuelling speculation that he may be tapped for the new state party chief post, despite opposition from the Yediyurappa camp. The run-up to the Assembly elections had been marked by a constant tussle between Ravi and Yeddiyurappa, and after his poll loss, Ravi had publicly blamed party insiders for “colluding” with the Opposition. But in November that year, Vijayendra was instead appointed as the state BJP chief, further isolating Ravi in the party unit.

Ravi has had his fair share of rows, with questions being raised, including from within the party, about the rapid increase in his wealth. In 2022, when some Hindu right-wing groups gave a call to boycott halal meat, Ravi likened halal food to “economic jihad”.

Earlier this year, during the Lok Sabha elections, Ravi was booked for an alleged hate post on X in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Though he was an aspirant for the Chikkamagaluru-Udupi Lok Sabha seat, the BJP eventually fielded Kota Shrinivas Poojari, a former minister, from there, who sailed through.