‘Too busy’: BS Yediyurappa as dissent swirls around in Karnataka unit

Seventy seven -year-old Yediyurappa is an exception at a senior level in the BJP as the party has a national policy of retiring leaders once they cross the 75-year mark.

Even as the BS Yediyurappa government completes its first year in office next month, several senior leaders and legislators are reportedly unhappy with the chief minister’s style of functioning. The party received a jolt last week after several leaders - majority of them hailing from Northern Karnataka and part of the powerful Lingayat community - met to discuss their unhappiness.

Two of the deputy CM’s Lakshman Savadi and CN Ashwath Narayan also claimed that while there was no dissension in the party, there were some issues which need to be addressed. (Photo @BSYBJP)

Among the key leaders at this luncheon meet were: Umesh Katti, an eight-time legislator and a former minister; Murugesh Nirani, a former minister and an industrialist, Basvraj Patil Yatnal, a former union minister known for his straight-talking ways. Katti and Nirani have been aspirants for a cabinet berth even as Yatnal is eyeing a role either at the Centre or in the state.

Even as they publicly swore loyalty to the party and said that they were disciplined soldiers, a crisis has been brewing in the party over several issues. These include rewarding loyalists who feel that those who joined from the Congress-JDS have walked away with plum ministerial berths, perceived interference in the government by Yediyurappa’s family members - especially by his second son Vijayendra, who is the head of the state youth wing - as well as need for a leadership change.

Seventy seven-year-old Yediyurappa is an exception at a senior level in the BJP as the party has a national policy of retiring leaders once they cross the 75-year mark. After the by-elections, while the BJP got an absolute majority, the price it paid was rewarding the Congress-JDS legislators who crossed over to help it form government with ministerial berths at the cost of loyalists.

Chitradurga MLA and senior BJP legislator GH Thippa Reddy, admitting to the media unhappiness on that front, said “Yes, there is unhappiness in the party about senior leaders being ignored and social justice not being given consideration in the constitution of the cabinet.” Reddy’s angst was directed at legislators who had crossed over from the Congress and the JDS and were made ministers while loyalists who had stood by the party have been ignored.

Ramesh Katti, the brother of Umesh Katti, said that he has reminded the chief minister of his promise to send him to the Rajya Sabha after he was denied a ticket in the Lok Sabha polls. Not to be left behind, several other legislators have now publicly thrown their hat into the ministerial ring with some of them, say, Haveri legislator Nehru Olekar publicly saying that they are also aspirants for the same.

The other sore point has been what is seen as interference in the administration by BSY’s family members. BY Vijayendra, the politically ambitious younger son of Yediyurappa, had to clarify that he was not an aspirant for an MLC berth, saying “there are several senior people deserving ahead of me”.

When queried about the hush-hush meetings of senior legislators, Yediyurappa on Monday tried to display nonchalance, saying, “I am too busy with work regarding development of the state and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, I have decided not to worry about such developments and will thus not comment on the (dissidence) issue.”

However, a senior minister in the BSY’s cabinet, who did not want to be identified, told HT: “We still have three more years (in power) and high command knows he (Yediyurappa) will be 80 by then and we need to have a replacement. Several of our legislators who have worked for decades in the party have not been rewarded but because of the circumstances those who came from elsewhere have been, this needs to be rectified. Also whoever replaces him needs to be given adequate time to make a mark.”

Two of the deputy CM’s Lakshman Savadi and CN Ashwath Narayan also claimed that while there was no dissension in the party, there were some issues which need to be addressed.

Congress spokesperson VS Ugrappa said that while they are not concerned about the internal strife within the BJP, but are worried about the impact it is having on the state administration which has almost “come to a standstill”.

“Karnataka is facing one of its biggest financial and humanitarian crises and all the ruling party can do is fight amongst itself, which is unfortunate,” said Ugrappa.

Senior political analyst Prof Harish Ramaswamy says that it is just a matter of time before Yeddiyurappa is replaced.

“While the high command may want somebody like a BL Santhosh (national organisation secretary) or Pralhad Joshi (union minister for parliamentary affairs), the caste matrix amongst the support base of BJP will not permit it. The Lingayat leaders realise that it has to be amongst them which is why somebody like Jagadish Shettar, who is a former CM and a Lingayat, could be a candidate or a Umesh Katti who is also a senior legislator,” said Ramaswamy.

Yediyurappa might have been necessary for the BJP if it wanted to come to power, added the professor, but now it may look to replace him and build a long-term younger leadership for the party in the state.

“For this they would need to have Yediyurappa and his family agree to the leadership transition as he has shown his power to take away a chunk of the vote when he walked out of the BJP in 2012,” said the political analyst.