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Yediyurappa’s son madechief of Karnataka BJP before 2024 polls
BY Vijayendra, the 47-year-old legislator from his father’s pocket borough of Shikaripura, was thus far the vice-president of the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday appointed first-time lawmaker BY Vijayendra, the son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, as the president of its Karnataka unit, marking a generational shift in the critical southern province and underlining the continued influence of the Lingayat strongman even after his retirement.
The move came five months before general elections next summer and amid simmering discontent in the party that suffered a drubbing at the hands of the Congress in assembly elections this May.
The 47-year-old legislator from his father’s pocket borough of Shikaripura was thus far the vice-president of the party. He replaces three-time lawmaker and hardliner ideologue Nalin Kumar Kateel.
“The central leadership has bestowed a significant responsibility upon me. I am committed to bringing everyone together without any biases. Our goal is to strengthen the party and secure victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” he said hours after his elevation.
With 28 Lok Sabha seats, Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP has enjoyed power. In 2019, the BJP won 26 out of the 28 seats but the scale of the Congress election victory – it won 135 out of the 224 assembly seats, the best haul in a generation – sparked speculation of a better Opposition show in 2024.
Vijayendra said that the efforts of his father and other leaders meant that the BJP was in a “favourable position” and announced that he will now traverse the entire state to strengthen the organisation. “With the entire world watching Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, it is our responsibility to built the party in the state and ensure the return of Narendra Modi to power,” Vijayendra added.
BJP leaders in Delhi said that the state unit was grappling with a leadership crisis in the wake of the assembly election debacle, with a large section of party workers unhappy with the sidelining of Yediyurappa, who built the party and was instrumental in holding together its base among the Lingayat community, the largest in the state.
A senior leader said on the condition of anonymity that there was pressure on the party to announce a strong Lingayat leader as state unit chief. “Yediyurappa’s clout and control over the Lingayats and even other castes in the state are unmatched. Vijayendra is his successor, but he has worked his way up, is popular with the cadre, is young and was therefore seen as a good choice for the post of party president,” the leader quoted above said.
Kateel said that the selection of a young leader would infuse new energy into the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “I congratulate Vijayendra on his appointment. As deputy chief of the party, he extensively travelled with me across the state and overseen the work of the youth wing. He is a proficient organiser who has risen through the ranks of the party,” he said.
BJP leaders said that the move was aimed at assuaging the influential Lingayats, who make up roughly 16% of the state. But ahead of the May polls, cracks appeared in this edifice, with senior Lingayat leaders such as former CM Jagdish Shettar jumping ship to the Congress.
“The 2023 elections were run by one section of the party opposed to Yediyurappa who thought they could do without him. The results made it clear they can’t, and thus this is a clear message that they cannot do without him,” a second BJP leader said.
Vijayendra, however, said that his lineage was not solely responsible for his elevation. “Our national president consulted with PM Modi, home minister Amit Shah, and national general secretary BL Santosh and decided to appoint a common worker as party president. This has also occurred due to Yediyurappa’s blessings. I am proud to be his son, but I don’t believe I received this post solely because of my lineage,” he said.
With general elections only months away, Vijayendra will battle a host of challenges -- countering a resurgent Congress helmed by two heavyweights in CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar; rejuvenating a party still smarting from a stinging loss; managing a new and uneasy alliance with the Janata Dal(Secular); and assuaging the senior leadership of his own party that has been unable to forge a consensus on key appointments such as leader of the opposition in the assembly.
Congress minister Priyank Kharge said that the move was another “surgical strike” on the state BJP leadership by Modi. “Will more leaders opt for VRS now or will there be a mass exodus?” The reference was to the resignation of former Union minister Sadananda Gowda who said on Friday that he was disappointed that the party’s central leadership was not consulted with state leaders.
Vijayendra said that he discussed pending issues with BJP chief JP Nadda and that a decision on the leader of opposition was imminent next Friday after a meeting of the legislative party. “We will seek the opinions of all the legislators and observers from the central leadership will arrive from Delhi,” he said.
Political analyst A Narayana said the move will serve as a morale booster for the party.
“This move is a clear sign that the party is once again relying on BS Yediyurappa. The strained feelings from the assembly campaign will be alleviated with this appointment. On the other hand, learning from its mistakes, the BJP is addressing concerns among the Lingayat community that the party is sidelining them. The timing of the appointment is crucial, coming at a time when the community is upset about the caste survey,” he said.
