Karnataka BJP infighting escalates after poll defeat

Infighting in the state BJP escalates with senior leaders expressing dissent within the party after the poll debacle

Infighting in the state BJP has escalated with senior leaders expressing dissent within the party. Former minister and MLA from Honnali constituency, MP Renukacharya on Tuesday alleged that the party erred with several decisions and sidelined senior leaders including Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa, resulting the poll debacle.

Infighting in the state BJP escalates with senior leaders expressing dissent within the party. (ANI)

“Yeddyurappa was not just a leader of the Lingayat community. He was a leader of all communities. His removal from the post of chief minister was a big blow,” Renukacharya told reporters in Davanagere’s Honnali on Tuesday.

Renukacharya, also criticised the party for denying tickets to senior leaders KS Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar and others. “Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar, and 70 people missed the ticket and this was a setback. Not only that, instead of senior leaders, the party’s election manifesto was made under the leadership of Sudhakar. We didn’t lose because of party workers but due to wrong decisions of the party.”

In the run up to the assembly elections, the BJP had denied tickets to senior leaders including Shettar and former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, who later resigned from the party and joined the Congress. The exits had given the Opposition, particularly the Congress, a chance to dub the BJP as anti-Lingayat. Both Shettar and Savadi are prominent faces of the Linagayat community that forms 17% of the electorate in the state.

Renukacharya also praised the policies of the Congress government and hit out at his own party. “Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar filled all 34 ministerial posts soon after the Cabinet was formed. However, six seats were left vacant in the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government and this factor also contributed to the party’s setback in the elections,” Renukacharya added.

The dissent in the BJP was also exposed at the party workers’ meetings in Vijayapura and Bagalkot on Monday, in which disruptions were seen due to the arguments between factions led by various leaders. BJP had organised district-level meetings in which ministers and state-level party office bearers were meant to speak about the achievements of the nine-year rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In Vijayapura, there was ruckus when former chief minister Basavaraj Bomai was called to inaugurate the programme, but heated arguments were seen between supporters of former minister Murugesh Nirani and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, as they tried to stop them because Yatnal had not yet arrived.

The arguments escalated as former minister Shashikala Jolle urged the workers to work for Lok Sabha election, and the victory of Bijapur MP Ramesh Jigajinagi. At the mention of Jigajinagi’s name, Yatnal’s supporters raised slogans in their leader’s favour. Some raised slogans against Jigajinagi, Nirani, and others. Police and BJP leaders had a tough time bringing the situation under control.

After arriving late to the event, Yatnal, said that BJP was defeated by some of its own leaders and not others. Outside the venue, Nirani said that it was Yatnal who had betrayed the party and Nirani demanded an apology from Yatnal for creating a ruckus through his supporters.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Bagalkot on Monday. A fight broke out between factions led by BJP leaders Veeranna Charantimath and PH Pujar, who disrupted the meeting. Supporters of Veeranna Charantimath alleged that internal sabotage had led to his defeat. The situation was controlled only after a follower of Pujar was escorted out by the police, on the appeal by Charantimath.

Former minister KS Eshwarappa on Monday also blamed “Congress influence for the indiscipline in the BJP.” “As the party grew, discipline came down here and there. Some leaders from the Congress came to the BJP, and we’re experiencing the impact,” he said. Later, he clarified that he was not talking about the Congress leaders who had joined the BJP. “I just said the wind of Congress culture touched us, bringing in a little indiscipline,” he said.

There seems to be a proxy war between the Lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders as well in the party. Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had earlier attacked the governments led by Yediyurappa and Bommai for not acting against the alleged corruption in the Congress, including the Arkavathy Layout scandal. Simha and party national secretary CT Ravi have claimed that “adjustment politics”, or an understanding between some leaders of the two parties, led to BJP’s defeat.

Meanwhile, the party’s state President Nalin Kumar Kateel on Monday intervened amid the infighting and appealed to the party leaders not harm the dignity of the party. He also asked them not make statements about the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition and the state president. “The Central Parliamentary Committee of the party will announce an efficient decision regarding the post of Leader of Opposition and other posts at the appropriate time. It has been noticed that some of the party leaders are expressing their aspirations for various posts in front of the media.”

Even after a month since the poll results were announced, the BJP has not been able to name a Leader of the Opposition, with the Budget session of the state assembly due in less than a week.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress on Tuesday mocked the BJP amid reports of infighting. “The fact that the BJP has not yet been able to elect a Leader of the Opposition shows that there is huge bargaining going on! ₹2,500 crore was fixed for the post of Chief Minister. Is the post of Leader of the Opposition also up for sale? @BJP4Karnataka. How much is it for the Leader of the Opposition? How much is it for the post of party president? @AmitShah must answer!” Congress tweeted.