Amit Shah visits Bengaluru amid buzz over Bommai’s future as Karnataka CM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bengaluru on Monday, coming days after a BJP leader’s comment on weekend about wholesale change, has raised speculation on the future of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Talk on Bommai’s replacement comes a year before state assembly polls in 2023. BJP sources have, however, ruled out any dramatic change for now. Bommai is expected to expand his cabinet soon.

A BJP leader’s comment over the weekend triggered the buzz about his possible exit. The BJP leadership has the courage and strength to implement wholesale changes in state leaderships, party’s national organising secretary BL Santhosh had said, reports NDTV.

‘BJP takes bold decisions’

“I am not saying that this will happen everywhere, but the BJP is able to make decisions that cannot even be envisaged by other political parties. Due to the confidence and will in the party, these decisions are possible, and in Gujarat, when the Chief Minister was changed, the entire cabinet was also changed. This was done with the intent to infuse freshness and not because of any complaints,” Santhosh was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Also read: National language row gets political; Karnataka CM backs Sudeep

“It is not an easy task to come to power for the second time… Anti-incumbency becomes much stronger,” added Mr Santhosh.

Bommai has not reacted to the comments, but he is reportedly preparing for a reshuffle in the next two weeks.

‘Karnataka is no Gujarat’

Sources close to the chief minister say the buzz has been “created” by those angling for ministries in the cabinet expansion, NDTV report says adding that the party understands that Karnataka is no Gujarat.

“The party structure is different here. A big chunk of BJP MLAs in Karnataka won elections, either as candidates of the Janata Dal (Secular) or Congress. The BJP leadership might be reworking strategies as aspirants within the party who are jockeying for positions,” NDTV quotes political analyst Sandeep Shastri as saying.

Bommai government has been stumbling from one controversy to another in recent weeks. From the controversy over ban on hijabs to campaign against halal meat to protest over loudspeakers at religious places, the state government has been facing fire over these issues, in the process denting its image.

The resignation of K S Eshwarappa as minister of rural development and panchayat raj following the suicide of a contractor who accused him of demanding, embarrassed the Bommai government big time. All such negative news was giving strength to speculation that Karnataka might see a new chief minister.

Also read: Bommai likely to discuss cabinet expansion or rejig with Amit Shah on May 3