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The ‘rebel’ camp led by Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal will be spending the next two days in Delhi seeking a meeting with party national president JP Nadda and national secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, asking for a change of guard in Karnataka BJP
The Yatnal camp has been vocal in its criticism of Vijayendra, accusing him of treating the party as a family-run entity. File image/X
The Bharatiya Janata Party high command has kept its doors open for those who want to voice their opinions or dissent over the functioning of the Karnataka BJP. For the next two days, leaders who are upset with the leadership of BY Vijayendra have been making a beeline to the national capital to make their “voices heard”.
The BJP “rebel” camp, led by Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, along with leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi and Kumar Bangarappa, will be spending the next two days in Delhi seeking a meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda and national secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, demanding the removal of Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra and apprise them of the “highhanded operations” in the state unit.
A senior BJP leader, who is among those raising concerns against BY Vijayendra, said they are glad that the party’s top leadership is giving them a patient hearing and the need to do it on priority arises from the fact that the party may soon confirm Vijayendra’s presidency, possibly after the conclusion of the Delhi assembly elections.
“The senior leaders have understood that there is a need to find a resolution to the growing crisis in the Karnataka BJP, and for the future of the party and for it to come back to power, the direction of how to handle the growing fissures is important. They are giving all factions a patient hearing,” said a senior leader who requested anonymity.
The objective of the rebel group led by Yatnal, said sources, is to ensure the central leadership gets a complete understanding of the internal situation before making any formal announcement.
Sources indicated that multiple meetings have already taken place. Ramesh Jarkiholi and his supporters have met Nadda, expressing their dissatisfaction with Vijayendra’s “authoritative approach” and calling for an immediate leadership change.
The Yatnal-led group says the key question now is whether they can persuade the high command to conduct an election for the state president’s position. If successful, the faction will have the opportunity to present a candidate against Vijayendra. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is overseeing Karnataka’s organisational elections, is expected to visit the state after the Delhi polls to make a decision.
Another senior BJP leader, Arvind Limbavali, who has strong ties with the Sangh Parivar and the BJP leadership, already held one round of discussions with Nadda and is currently in Delhi, awaiting a meeting with union home minister Amit Shah. Chikkaballapur MP Dr K Sudhakar, another member of the dissenting camp, has engaged in two rounds of discussions with both Nadda and Shah, detailing internal issues within the Karnataka BJP and requesting urgent intervention.
Insiders suggest that Limbavali could be a potential candidate for the state president’s post if the central leadership decides to conduct an election. Although the BJP is revamping its organisational structure nationwide, Karnataka remains the only state where a faction is actively pushing for an internal election. The Yatnal camp has been vocal in its criticism of Vijayendra, accusing him of treating the party as a family-run entity.
Yatnal, who has frequently clashed with BY Vijayendra in public, has also threatened to reveal alleged wrongdoings during BS Yediyurappa’s tenure as chief minister, including the role played by his son Vijayendra’s close aides in influencing party affairs.
The core demand in discussions with Nadda and Santhosh has been to convince the central leadership to hold elections for the Karnataka BJP president’s post, allowing the dissident faction to field its candidate and demonstrate its support within the party. Additionally, the group is attempting to win over senior leaders who feel sidelined under Vijayendra’s leadership.
In the meeting, the rebels also urged the high command to nullify the selection of presidents for 23 organisational districts, arguing that these appointments were made unilaterally by Vijayendra without consulting senior party members. They believe this move was strategically designed to strengthen his control over the state unit and secure his leadership.
However, a senior BJP source suggested that while the leadership may advise Vijayendra to adopt a more inclusive approach and ensure diverse opinions are accommodated, it is unlikely to allow an election for the president’s post, as demanded by the rebel camp. Those reportedly aligning with them include former Davanagere MP GM Siddeshwara, Chitradurga MP Govind Karjol, and Dr Sudhakar, as well as former CM Basavaraj Bommai.
“Replacing the state president at this juncture would have significant political consequences, particularly when the BJP is working towards reclaiming power. The priority is unity, and the leadership is likely to push for cohesion rather than division,” the leader stated.
- Location :
Bangalore, India, India
