No political party in India is free from dissidence. Rebellion had always been legendary in Congress. History is replete with instances of chief ministers being changed because of dissidence. The Bharatiya Janata Party, too, is no stranger to revolts in most states.
In Karnataka, factional war has escalated at a time when the ruling party is facing elections to the legislative assembly.
BJP’s national general secretary and MLA from Chikkamagaluru, C.T. Ravi’s recent diatribe against B.Y. Vijayendra, state general secretary of the party and more prominently known as the son of former CM and Lingayat strongman B.S. Yediyurappa, is being perceived as a battle between factions to gain influence over the party in Karnataka.
Ravi, a Vokkaliga, who is seen as a supporter of BJP’s national secretary B.L. Santosh, said while answering a question in a press meet, “Party tickets are not decided in anybody’s kitchen. In BJP, tickets are not given because you are the son of somebody; tickets are decided by the party’s parliamentary board. As regards Vijayendra, the decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Board, not in anybody’s kitchen. The ticket will be decided on the basis of winnability of the candidate. We have conducted surveys to know about chances of the party and candidates and will go according to that”.
He repeated “not in anyone’s kitchen” six times during the press meet.
With this, former minister Ravi indicated that Vijayendra would not be an automatic choice for Shikaripura.
C.T. Ravi at a Vijay Sankalp Yatra of the BJP. Photo: Twitter/@CTRavi_BJP
Vijayendra, who many say used to wield enormous power when Yediyurappa was the CM, shot back at Ravi, asking him “to be careful when criticising Yediyurappa”.
He retorted: “Yediyurappa never thought about his family. Yediyurappa is not the chief minister now. Although he is not in any high position, the 6.5 crore Kannadigas hold him in high esteem and close to their hearts”.
He added that BSY (as Yediyurappa is known) is the only leader in the state who is capable of bringing back the party to power in Karnataka. Vijayendra, who was recently appointed to the party’s 25-member election campaign committee for the state assembly polls, further stated: “Ravi is a senior leader and knows the contribution of Yediyurappa in building the party in Karnataka. Everybody knows where the decisions will be made. I am not losing sleep over the elections and I am working for the party. The party has given me work and I will abide by any decision of the party.”
Ravi later denied that he made the “kitchen” remark in reference to Vijayendra but said it meant Janata Dal (Secular) where he said all party decisions, including tickets, are decided in the kitchen of party patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda and his son H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Ravi’s “kitchen” comment needs to be seen in the backdrop of BSY’s announcement in July last year that he won’t contest elections in future and that Vijayendra would contest from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district of South Karnataka, the seat the former CM won eight times. Possibly admonished by the central leadership, BSY changed his tune the next day, saying that the party high command would take the decision regarding his seat.
BJP undoubtedly needs BSY to win in Karnataka.
It was for this reason that soon after he was removed as CM, Yediyurappa was nominated to the party’s parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body, sort of an assurance to his supporters, Lingayats in particular, that the party respected Yediyurappa. Aware that the government of BSY’s successor Basavaraj Bommai, a fellow Lingayat, is not making much of an impression among the voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, in their election rallies in Karnataka, have so far left no stone unturned to praise the ‘contributions’ of Yediyurappa.
BS Yediyurappa at a Vijay Sankalp Yatra of the BJP. Photo: Twitter/@BSYBJP
Notwithstanding this, a section in the party, which wants BJP to win in the state, at the same time does not want the father-son duo to succeed. This section does not want the credit, if BJP wins, to go the duo.
In case Vijayendra is given the ticket and wins, this group fears that he will take control of the party or at least have a major say in party decisions. Incidentally, in the last assembly election in 2018, Vijayendra wanted to contest from Varuna in Mysuru district, started campaigning there and even rented a house in the constituency.
Then, to the surprise of all, the party announced T. Basavaraju as the candidate and he was trounced comfortably by Yatindra, son of Congress stalwart and former chief minister Siddaramaiah. BSY’s efforts to get Vijayendra into assembly or council has so far failed. Party insiders say this has reflected the discomfort the leadership has in giving in to BSY’s demands. They also point out in this regard that while Vijayendra’s electoral ambition has so far been foiled, BSY’s other son B.Y. Raghavendra, MP from Shivamogga, has not been made minister at the Union government.
C.T. Ravi has been seen in the camp opposed to Yediyurappa ever since the latter rebelled, quit and formed his own party – Karnataka Janata Paksha – in 2012. BSY didn’t succeed as his party won only eight seats but garnered 10% of votes. More importantly, BSY inflicted heavy damage on BJP – the party was restricted to 40 seats compared to 110 it had won in the outgoing assembly and lost power to Congress in 2013. Ravi, along with BSY’s bête noire K.S. Eshwarappa, was vocal in taking on the powerful Lingayat leader till the latter rejoined BJP in 2014.
Minister V. Somanna, a Lingayat leader from Bengaluru, is another who has opened up a new front against Vijayendra through his son Arun. Somanna threatened to quit the party and has reportedly opened up channel with Congress. Arun Somanna, who hopes to get a ticket for Govindarajanagar in Bengaluru, now represented by his father, last week lashed out at Vijayendra claiming that the latter abused him during a phone call. Housing minister Somanna was said to be angry with Vijayendra as the latter is making efforts to emerge as the Lingayat leader after BSY.
V. Somanna. Photo: Twitter/@VSOMANNA_BJP
Arun Somanna remarked: “A veteran leader vacated his seat for his son. The son is going around the state claiming that he is the next big leader in the state. When I called him recently, the son abused me. I told him I can also abuse him”. Somanna was summoned by senior leaders in Delhi where he met Amit Shah and party chief J.P. Nadda who seemingly pacified him. The minister later said he won’t quit BJP.
However, despite all these developments, the 80-year old BSY is travelling across the state campaigning for the BJP and claiming that the party will win 150 (out of 224) seats while affirming faith in Modi’s leadership. Still, with candidates’ list yet to be announced, the party workers and leaders are keeping their fingers crossed for any development that may hurt the party’s prospects.
The Election Commission is likely to announce the poll calendar around March 27 and polling could happen around May 15.
B.S. Arun is a senior journalist based in Bengaluru.