Shah-Yediyurappa bonhomie: ‘Signs of thaw’ in former CM’s frosty ties with BJP central leadership

Amid strong speculation of frosty ties between the Lingayat strongman and the BJP central leadership, following his sidelining in the party since he quit as the CM in July 2021, the mutual admiration surprised many observers. The breakdown of their relationship was being viewed as possibly a crucial factor in deciding the fortunes of the BJP in the 2023 state polls.

All of this took place in the backdrop of Yediyurappa’s family facing the threat of prosecution in corruption cases from his tenure as CM, with the BJP keeping him at arm’s distance to break the Lingayat leader’s hold over the party’s Karnataka unit. “The farmers of the whole country remember Yediyurappa. When Yediyurappa was in power, there was development for Karnataka farmers. The whole country remembers Yediyurappa because the city of Bengaluru developed under Yediyurappa. Today, Modi has done a lot of work in this region,” Shah stated.

Earlier, Yediyurappa in his speech called Shah a “modern Sardar Vallabhai Patel’”. He added, “We have to congratulate PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who are seeking to solve the burning issues of the country and have earned the world’s appreciation for this. No force in the world can match up to the hard work of this duo. You know that their contribution is immense to the progress of the country.”

The former CM, who was conspicuous by his absence in a few Shah rallies held late last year and then earlier in January, was next seen at a BJP rally in Belagavi featuring Shah on January 28. Yediyurappa also had a private discussion with PM Modi on the sidelines of the BJP national executive meeting in Delhi on January 17.

The display of mutual admiration also comes at a time when the JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has claimed that the BJP will make Pralhad Joshi, a Brahmin, the next Karnataka CM, a claim that is being seen as an attempt to erode the BJP’s Lingayat support base, which is closely allied with Yediyurappa.