With dissidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) growing, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has swung into damage-control mode. He has started meeting disgruntled MLAs in an attempt to placate them. He has also reportedly assured some of them that he would consider accommodating them in the Cabinet during the reshuffle in June.
An unsigned letter, reportedly by BJP legislators, circulated in the past week targets the Chief Minister’s son B.Y. Vijayendra for his alleged interventions in governance. This is the second such letter to surface. This, and “inaccessibility” of the Chief Minister, were the main grievances aired by several MLAs at a recent legislators’ meeting.
Faction-ridden party
Strategists close to the Chief Minister argue that this is the handiwork of some disgruntled ministerial aspirants. Party sources, however, indicate that this is being used by a faction with support from a section of the party high command to try to dislodge Mr. Yediyurappa. “Unfortunately, the party in the State has been faction-ridden for over two decades and there has always been an anti-Yediyurappa faction, which is actively pursuing a campaign to dislodge him,” said a senior Minister.
However, seniors in the party cutting across factions do not think a change of leadership will happen right away. “The party is definitely looking for a leader beyond Mr. Yediyurappa, who is 78. The party does not see him leading the government beyond 2023. The party has been talent scouting and gave opportunity to C.N. Ashwath Narayan and Laxman Savadi, making them Deputy Chief Ministers. But there is no alternative to Mr. Yediyurappa on whom the party is ready to bet on as yet,” said a senior leader.
They point out that the BJP was down to 40 seats in 2013 when Mr. Yediyurappa quit the party to form a regional outfit. The BJP bounced back in the State after he rejoined and led the party in polls. It emerged as the single- largest party just shy of majority in the 2018 Assembly polls though it paved the way for the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Mr. Yediyurappa-led efforts to woo MLAs from the Congress and the JD(S) and brought the party to power through ‘Operation Lotus’ defections. The victory in 12 of the 15 Assembly seats in the recent bypolls has also strengthened his position in the party. The party also won 25 seats in the 2019 parliament elections with him in the lead.
“It is unlikely that the high command will take the risk of disturbing a secure government in Karnataka when the BJP has been suffering setbacks in multiple States,” one of his associates argued.
‘Right time to test a new leadership’
On the other hand, those seeking a change of guard argue that this is the right time to test a new leadership. “A leader who cannot lead the government in the coming term cannot lead the party into elections,” a senior party functionary and an RSS leader argued.
At the moment, more than a clamour for change of guard, what seems to be the immediate triggers for dissidence are the perceived inaccessibility of the Chief Minister, MLAs not receiving funds for works in their constituencies, “interference” of Mr. Vijayendra, and disgruntled ministerial aspirants. “Mr. Yediyurappa has often been accused of not taking along all legislators, a complaint that was voiced at the recent legislators’ meeting,” a senior Minister said.
Seniors said that there were two similar attempts to dislodge Mr. Yediyurappa as Chief Minister in 2009 and 2010. Many attributed disruption of hierarchy and skewed opportunities for newcomers over old-timers because of ‘Operation Lotus’ as being the reasons for the situation both now and back then. The family was accused of interference earlier too.
Despite the Chief Minister going into a damage-control mode and meeting MLAs, the disgruntlement in the party is expected to simmer at least till June when the next round of Cabinet reshuffle is scheduled. With a long list of aspirants, the only way to accommodate them would be to drop some of the incumbent Ministers, a suggestion aired at the legislators’ meeting. “The next big challenge for the Chief Minister is to balance the June reshuffle,” a senior leader said.
