Karnataka leadership set for shake-up as BJP looks beyond Yediyurappa era

BS Yediyurappa is widely credited with building the BJP in Karnataka from the grassroots level. He led the party’s expansion over several decades, eventually bringing it to power in the state and making Karnataka the BJP’s first gateway to southern India. Even after serving as chief minister four times, Yediyurappa continued to wield significant influence over the party and remained its undisputed Lingayat leader.

Later, the BJP appointed his son, BY Vijayendra, as the Karnataka BJP president to carry forward Yediyurappa’s political legacy and consolidate the party’s Lingayat support base. However, it now appears that the Yediyurappa charisma may be losing its political impact. Vijayendra has struggled to carry forward his father’s legacy, with the party witnessing growing factionalism, infighting, and indiscipline under his leadership. He has also failed to unite party workers or bring dissident leaders onto a common platform.

BJP mulling leadership change

The BJP, which has increasingly focused on building itself as a strong organisation rather than depending on the charisma of an individual leader, now appears to be considering a leadership change. The central leadership had given Vijayendra sufficient time of three years, believing he would strengthen the organisation and consolidate the party after the 2023 Assembly election defeat. However, the continued internal divisions and the inability to resolve factional disputes have reportedly disappointed the leadership.

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Questions are being raised within political circles over whether the BJP central leadership has lost confidence in Vijayendra. Discussions are also growing about whether the party is preparing for a new leadership in Karnataka and whether Yediyurappa’s charisma is fading. As a result, the BJP is now believed to be looking beyond the Yediyurappa era and preparing the organisation for the next Assembly elections with a leadership model that is driven more by organisational strength than by the influence of a single leader or family.

Vijayendra’s dismal performance

The BJP had appointed Vijayendra as the Karnataka unit president after the 2023 Assembly elections with two major objectives. The first was to continue the political legacy of Yediyurappa, the party's tallest Lingayat leader. The second was to retain the BJP’s strong Lingayat support base.

However, since Vijayendra took charge, the party has been facing continuous internal differences. The biggest challenge came from MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who openly criticised the Yediyurappa family and questioned the state leadership. Though the BJP high command later took disciplinary action against Yatnal, the internal divisions have not completely ended.

The recent Legislative Council elections added to the leadership’s problems. Cross-voting by BJP legislators embarrassed the party and raised questions over the ability of Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka to maintain discipline among their own MLAs.

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Party leaders also believe that the BJP leadership has failed to build a strong political campaign against the Congress government over issues such as the MUDA case and the Valmiki Corporation scam. While the BJP organised protests and the MUDA padayatra, the campaign did not achieve the expected political impact. According to party sources, the central leadership later summoned both Vijayendra and Ashoka to Delhi to review the party’s performance.

Why Yediyurappa was different

Former chief minister and former Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda recently spoke to The Federal and underlined the importance of leadership that keeps party workers united. He said that although Yediyurappa was a strict leader, he always reached out personally to party workers after scolding them and maintained good relationships within the organisation. He raised concerns about whether the present state leadership has been able to build similar confidence among party workers.

According to a senior leader in the state BJP, the party high command is now discussing changes not only in the post of the state president but also the Leader of the Opposition. The party is believed to be considering giving opportunities to new faces ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.

The Lingayat factor

However, replacing the present leadership is not an easy decision. The BJP remains cautious about protecting its Lingayat vote bank, which has been one of the party’s strongest support bases in Karnataka for decades under Yediyurappa’s leadership.

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There is also speculation that if leadership changes are made in the state, the party may try to balance the political message by accommodating Yediyurappa’s family at the national level. Political circles have discussed the possibility of Yediyurappa’s son and MP BY Raghavendra being considered during the next Union Cabinet reshuffle. However, there has been no official confirmation from the BJP on this.

Reshuffle likely

Several names are also being discussed for important organisational positions in Karnataka. Union Minister for state Shobha Karandlaje, who has an RSS background and belongs to the Vokkaliga community and is also close to Yediyurappa, is being mentioned as a possible candidate for the post of state BJP president.

The party is also thinking of sending back V Somanna from the Union Cabinet to replace Vijayendra if BSY uses the Lingayat trump card against the party. V Somanna is also a Lingayat leader, and has a particularly close association with the Lingayath mathas and seers all over the state. He came from the Janata Parivar, was with the Congress for a while, and has been with the BJP for more than a decade. He is close to the BJP high command too. He also maintains a good rapport with the JD(S), which is significant as the party is most likely to face the next Assembly elections with the party and its leader HD Kumaraswamy.

Apart from Karandlaje and Somanna, the names of Mahesh Tenginakai and Arvind Bellad are also being mentioned in discussions, particularly to maintain the party’s Lingayat social equation if leadership changes take place.

Time for reforms

For the post of Leader of the Opposition, the names of senior BJP leaders Dr CN Ashwath Narayan (Vokkaliga) and V Sunil Kumar (Backward Class) are also being discussed in political circles. While Ashwath Narayan is seen as an influential Vokkaliga leader, Sunil Kumar is considered a prominent OBC face in the party.

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Senior BJP leader and MLA B Suresh Gowda told The Federal that the central leadership may soon take strong organisational decisions. According to him, the party leadership had given enough time to the Karnataka unit to resolve its internal issues, but reforms could now begin. He also said the BJP’s internal divisions had allowed the Congress to gain political advantage.

He expressed confidence that the BJP and JD(S) alliance would aim to win 175 seats in the 2028 Assembly elections after organisational reforms. “The honeymoon period for the present leadership (Vijayendra and Ashoka) is over and the party may take strong decisions within two months,” he said.