Sources in New Delhi tell TheBengaluruLive that the BJP brass hasn’t even got round to discussing a change of leadership in Karnataka as all its focus is on next year’s Uttar Pradesh assembly elections
BENGALURU:
With barely a few hours left for July 26 – the much bandied about ‘D-Day’ for the resignation of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, which incidentally marks the completion of 2 years as Chief Minister by the BJP’s Karnataka patriarch – BJP aspirants for the Karnataka CM’s chair may yet find that they have been building castles in the air.
According to sources in the BJP’s Delhi headquarters, Yediyurappa will continue as Karnataka’s Chief Minister till the next assembly polls in 2023.
A source who is close to the top brass in the BJP told TheBengaluruLive, “We did not even think of replacing Yediyurappa and we have not shortlisted anyone as his successor. Karnataka is a very crucial state for the BJP and the BJP would not like to lose the state during the 2023 assembly polls. The party may take a call on a probable new Chief Minister only after the next assembly polls. For now, Yediyurappa will continue as Chief Minister.”
When asked why no national leaders are speaking about a change in leadership in Karnataka, the source said that there is no necessity to make any statement openly as the party has never announced that Yediyurappa will be changed. He added, “The party never announces in advance. The party only decides and sends a message to the state. We haven’t decided anything on Yediyurappa and he will continue until it is officially communicated to him to step down.”
Read here: Whether I continue as CM or not will be known by tomorrow, says Yediyurappa
Called on Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in New Delhi today. Had a fruitful discussion on various development projects of the state.@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/HjoHy6Y2zI
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) July 16, 2021
Yedi’s ‘moves’!
On July 16, Yediyurappa along with his son, BJP Karnataka vice-president BY Vijayendra, had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the following day had met the other two top BJP leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda, as well as others.
Called on Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji in New Delhi today. Wished him on his new role as the Minister in the newly created Ministry of Cooperation and discussed matters related to the state.@HMOIndia @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/W4Vletg2LA
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) July 17, 2021
Called on @BJP4India National President Shri @JPNadda ji in New Delhi today. Discussed on various matters including further strengthening the party’s prospects in Karnataka ahead of 2023 general elections. pic.twitter.com/CwFq2mCrJy
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) July 17, 2021
While Yediyurappa has denied reports that he has offered his resignation to Prime Minister Modi, several national news channels have claimed that he has tendered his resignation to the PM. Reporters of these channels have claimed that the source which shared the story of Yediyurappa’s ‘resignation’ with BJP-beat reporters in New Delhi had even seen a copy of the resignation letter but had not shared it with journalists.
Read here: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa dismisses rumours about his resignation, says not at all true
After returning to Bengaluru, a confident Yediyurappa once again denied all talk of his stepping down but went on to say that the state BJP doesn’t have any shortage of leaders and he is ready to abide by any decision taken by the party high command (it’s an open secret that BJP leaders in Karnataka will abide by any diktat from the Modi-Shah duo).
Stirring the pot!
However, on July 22, Yeddyurappa stirred the ‘resignation pot’ a little more by stating that he is ready to step down if the party so wishes. He went on the say that he was ready to resign two months ago but will now be completing two years in office on July 26 and any ‘message’ passed on to him will be followed like a ‘loyal soldier’.
Read here: Will July 26 be ‘day of reckoning’ for Yediyurappa?
Meanwhile, the 78-year old Lingayat strongman has ensured high visibility to his ‘cultural’ support base. Since the last two days, many Lingayat pontiffs have gathered in Bengaluru to express their support for Yediyurappa completing his remaining two-year tenure as CM.
Earlier, there were speculations that after the Uttarakhand Chief Minister was changed, a possible change of guard was likely in Karnataka. The BJP’s internal policy is not to allow any leader over the age of 75 to continue in a position of power, but Yediyurappa is the exception as the party cannot forget how he single-handedly brought the saffron party back to power in Karnataka. While one group of Backward Class leaders claims that the contribution of the late Ananth Kumar in ensuring a BJP victory in Karnataka cannot be forgotten, the undisputable fact is that the saffron party was down to just 40 legislators in the 2013 assembly polls, largely because Yediyurappa had rebelled and formed his own Karnataka Janata Party. Thereafter, the BJP had to acknowledge his pre-eminence on the political scene of Karnataka and re-induct him into its fold.
The party high command also knows that even as Yediyurappa has proclaimed himself a ‘disciplined and loyal soldier’ of the BJP, it will not be a cakewalk to effect a change of guard in Karnataka.
Yedi’s balloon!
Again, the BJP’s national leadership seems confused by Yediyurappa’s style — it is he who is talking about stepping down but not a single party leader in Delhi has said openly that Yediyurappa will be changed!
Read here: Karnataka CM has done good work: J P Nadda
Political commentators have also speculated that Yediyurappa has floated a balloon by wanting to see the outrage in the state if he is changed, and he is now quite confident that it won’t be so easy to change him after the political developments of the last couple of days.
Several political leaders, including Union Minister Prahallad Joshi (Brahmin), Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai (Lingayat), Dr CN Ashwath Narayan (Vokkaliga) and R Ashoka (Vokkaliga), have opined that Yediyurappa will continue as Chief Minister but that everyone will abide by the high command’s decision on any change of leadership in the state.
Who will fill BSY’s shoes?
The BJP knows that it lacks aggressive leadership in the state — TheBengaluruLive is not taking any names but the fact is that the appeal of most party leaders in Karnataka is confined to their assembly constituencies or respective districts. “These leaders have never come out of their constituencies, fearing they may lose their grip in their own backyard. This gave an opportunity for Yediyurappa to tour the entire state and become a mass leader in the last four decades,” said a political thinker.
Meanwhile, the BJP high command has its task cut out in identifying a Karnataka partyman who can, a la Yediyurappa, build himself up as a mass leader in the next two years, in time for the 2023 assembly elections
No doubt, Yediyurappa will have to step down at some point and make way for young blood, but the current dilemma of the party leaders revolves around whether the present time is right for effecting a change of guard in Karnataka.
