'Adjustment politics': After poll debacle, blame game widens rift in Karnataka BJP

After receiving a sound drubbing in the recent elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka is now a divided house. Whereas some leaders are busy slinging mud on one other, senior leaders are a worried lot as they feel left out.

To add to party woes, there seems to be a tug of war between the leaders, who identify with the former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh.

Also read: Even in BJP strongholds across Karnataka, Hindutva falls flat as poll plank

Senior leaders, including National General Secretary CT Ravi, MP Pratap Simha, former Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda and former CM Basavaraj Bommai, among others, openly make statements that the party with a difference now looks like a “party with differences”, signalling to the national leadership that all is not well in the state unit. Apparently, these developments have the party leaders in Delhi worried, as the party wants to win maximum number of seats from the state in 2024 parliamentary elections.

The rift between Yediyurappa and Santosh was one of the reasons for the party’s debacle in the recent elections. However, there is no end to the rift which may corrode the party further, said a senior leader, who didn’t want to be named.

Politics that did BJP in

It was Ravi, who was defeated for the first time in Chikmagalur, known as the “Hindutva base”, who started the blame game, saying that the ‘adjustment politics’ (some BJP leaders joining hands with the Congress leaders in the state) was the reason.  Speaking to media, he said that the “adjustment politics” by some leaders led to BJP’s defeat.

“Our government had to investigate the scams of Congress leaders and take political mileage out of their expose. But some of our party leaders indulged in ‘adjustment politics’ and this resulted in the defeat,” he said. He was hinting at the rift between Yediyurappa and Bommai, without naming them.

Agreeing with his party colleague, Simha said that when the BJP was in power, it did nothing to expose the several scams of the previous Congress government, including ‘land re-do’, Arkavathy denotification, Kempanna Commission report against Siddaramaiah. “Siddaramaiah was also making allegations against the BJP, about the PSI scam and Bitcoin. Now they are not talking about this,” he said.

Bommai furious

He asked Siddaramaiah to investigate such cases if he is not indulging in “adjustment politics” the same way as the previous BJP government did. Interestingly, the ‘adjustment politics’ allegation came from leaders supposedly belonging to the Santosh camp. According to a senior BJP leader, the allegations made by both leaders are indirectly aimed at the BSY camp.

However, Bommai was furious at Simha’s allegations and said, “I have never done compromise politics in my life and will not do so in the future. Pratap Simha should look at the documents and speak. We have filed five cases against Siddaramaiah and he is an accused in all the cases. Also, 60 cases of Congress leaders were transferred from the ACB to the Lokayukta.”

Hitting back, Simha on Friday (June 16) asked Bommai, “What those great leaders did who came to power after BSY? They did not even take proper action against the accused who murdered the BJP workers, including Praveen Nettaru and Harsha. Such leaders did not work hard to bring the party to power again.”

Simha’s first statement came on Wednesday and Bommai replied on Thursday. Incidentally, Bommai, who belongs to the BSY camp, is trying to be appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly by the party high command.

Also Read: Shettar ire opens up Brahmin-Lingayat fault line in Karnataka BJP

Former minister MTB Nagaraj, defeated in the recent elections, squarely blamed former minister K Sudhakar and Bommai for his defeat. Similarly, several leaders are hurling allegations at other BJP leaders for their defeat.

Ignoring senior leaders

Gowda, who is popularly known as DVS and is identified with the BSY camp, recently alleged that senior leaders are being neglected in the party. By fielding new faces in some constituencies, Santosh made several leaders feel left out and jittery. This led to Lingayat leaders like Jagadish Shettar and Lakshamana Savadi joining the Congress before elections. Political circles in the state are abuzz with speculations that DVS is worried that out of 25 BJP MPs from the state, 13 MPs, including himself, may be axed by the party high command in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

He is said to have sought clarity from the party high command on the issue, so that there is no confusion like in the assembly elections.

He demanded that both the national and the state leadership should intervene to end the confusion.

However, sources said that while selecting candidates for the 2024 general elections, there may be an attempt not to give ticket to leaders close to BSY. The party leadership would also look at factors like age and health before considering older candidates and may give new faces a chance.

Hinting at it, DVS said that there is false propaganda against North Kanara MP Anananth Kumar Hegde that he is unwell, but he is fit and fine. DVS stated that several MPs, who are facing the same dilemma, are in touch with him.

Too many cooks

A bone of contention between the leaders of both camps is the posts of the Leader of Opposition and the state unit president, which Nalin Kumar Kateel will vacate.

Sources in the BJP said that BSY is trying to wrest both positions for those of his camps who are loyal to him. He may opt for Bommai as the Leader of Opposition, since Bommai has more experience in handling parliamentary affairs. But former minister V Sunil Kumar and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from the rival camp are trying for the position, a senior leader said.

Bommai and Yatnal are from the Lingayat community. For the state BJP president’s post, R Ashok is BSY’s preference as he is loyal to him, whereas Dr CN Aswhatha Narayana from the rival camp also aspires for the position. Both hail from the Vokkaliga community.

The central leadership is finding itself in a piquant situation. They cannot ignore BSY as he has a stronghold both in the Lingayat community and in the party. They don’t want to send a wrong signal to the rank and file of the party in the state, as it happened during the Assembly elections. At the same time, they cannot ignore the demands of the rival camp, too.

They must work out a compromise formula to keep both camps happy.