Eye on LS polls, BJP warms up to Yeddyurappa

The split with BS Yeddyurappa has cost the BJP its first bastion in south – Karnataka. But the party seems ready to correct its mistake — a merger with BSY’s breakaway faction, the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), appears to be in the pipeline in view of the Lok Sabha election next year.

The split with BS Yeddyurappa has cost the BJP its first bastion in south – Karnataka. But the party seems ready to correct its mistake — a merger with BSY’s breakaway faction, the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), appears to be in the pipeline in view of the Lok Sabha election next year.

HT Image

Although there has been no official announcement, sources in the BJP said party president Rajnath Singh does not want a repeat of the recent debacle in the coming Lok Sabha elections and is planning to get BSY back on board.

It is believed that BSY too, is not entirely averse and has responded to the BJP overtures, said a leader of KJP, on condition of anonymity.

In 2008, BSY had led the BJP to a historic victory in the state. But this time, his KJP has failed to make the expected impact – with a mere 9.83% vote share and 6 seats in the assembly. Under the circumstances, a merger with the BJP may improve the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections, the leader added.

Former minister and BJP legislator CT Ravi pointed out that the Congress had made it only because of the split in the BJP.

RP Jagadiesh, media secretary of Yeddyurappa, though, remained non-committal. “We cannot say what will happen in future,” he said.