Karnataka: Why revolt by senior BJP leaders may derail party’s attempt to take on Cong govt

In a significant political development, disgruntled senior leaders of Karnataka BJP have revolted against the party’s state top leaders, even as the BJP-JD(S) alliance on Saturday (August 3) kicked off its seven-day ‘padayatra,’ demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged MUDA scam involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and mount pressure on him to quit.

Amid the Congress’ allegation that the BJP with tacit support of Governor Thavarchand Gehlot was trying to “destabilise” a democratically elected government, the rebellion inside the saffron party, led by leaders like Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Sriramulu, and Aravinda Limbavali, has become a cause of concern for state leaders.

Yatnal raises banner of revolt

It was BJP MLA and former Union minister Yatnal, who raised the banner of revolt against state leadership. Other disgruntled leaders including Jarkiholi, Limbavali, Sriramulu, former MP Pratap Simha and former minister Kumar Bangarappa have joined the league to oppose the leadership of Leader of Opposition, R Ashok, and Karnataka state BJP president BY Vijayendra, son of BS Yediyurappa. They refer to the rebellion league as ‘like-minded’ leaders.

Allegations against Yediyurappa, Vijayendra

Yatnal on Thursday (August 1) announced that a delegation of ‘like-minded leaders' will visit the national capital to complain to the party high command against the party’s state leadership. Yatnal who held a meeting with other leaders including Simha, Jarkiholi and Bangarappa told the media that a majority of BJP leaders were not happy with the way the state leadership was managing the affairs of the party.

Yatnal did not mince his words to take on arch rival Vijayendra and accused him of damaging the prospects of the party in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls. He also accused the father-son duo (Yediyurappa and Vijayendra) of treating the party as their “fiefdom”.

“A majority of the state office bearers are loyalists of the father and son duo,” he said, while hinting that a few more ‘rebels’ are likely to join the rebel camp.

Before approaching the national leaders with their complaint, Yatnal says he is planning to hold a meeting of ‘like-minded’ leaders in Bengaluru shortly to discuss the developments in the Karnataka unit of BJP.

Speaking to The Federal, he said, “They will not keep quiet, when the father and son are destroying the party built by many selfless leaders. We will try our best to liberate the party from the clutches of Yediyurappa and Vijayendra.”

Rebels question Vijayendra’s role in MUDA scam

The dissidence in the BJP, traces of which were seen in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, gained momentum when the Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly was in session – Yatnal and Limbavali were visibly critical of the party’s functioning during the recent session of the legislature.

The rebel camp has alleged that during the session, Vijayendra indicated that he is a friend of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, thereby softening the party's stand in fighting against the allegation of corruption against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Accusing Vijayendra and others of being involved in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, Yatnal sought an explanation from the former on his relationship with Shivakumar.

Alleging that the controversial MUDA scam happened when Yediyurappa was the chief minister, Yatnal demanded that investigative agencies should also probe the role of BJP’s top leaders in the scam.

Plans for parallel padayatra

Yatnal has also voiced his protest against the BJP’s padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru.

He along with Jarkiholi have decided to take out a parallel padayatra from Koodalasangama to Bellary to highlight the scam relating to money transfer case in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited. The leaders have reportedly asked the party high command’s permission for the same.

Discontent harmful for BJP, say senior leaders

A few senior leaders, who have identified themselves as belonging to the Yediyurappa camp, admit that the disgruntlement of some of the former and present legislators will be detrimental to the ambitious plan of the state BJP in ‘destabilising’ the Congress government.

“Disgruntled legislators are unhappy as they have not been consulted before the decision to organise the Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra was taken. It was a unilateral decision of Vijayendra and Ashok. This move is likely to boomerang on both the leaders” said a senior party functionary on condition of anonymity.

Chinks in NDA’s armour

Besides the internal rift in the BJP, all is not well in the NDA alliance in the state, with the saffron party and the JD(S) reported to be sparring over the padayatra.

“Our leader and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy is upset with the way Vijayendra and Ashok are treating regional parties. He is also upset with the BJP top leadership for inviting Pritham Gowda of Hassan, an arch rival of the Gowda family. Kumaraswamy had withdrawn his party’s support for the padayatra, stating that he had been 'insulted' and 'ill-treated', but finally joined it after being cajoled by BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah,” said a senior JD(S) leader.