Daggers out for Yediyurappa, son; saffron party rushes to contain rebellion

Bengaluru: Growing animosity within the BJP towards veteran B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra, who heads the party in the state, could play spoilsport to the saffron party’s plan of winning big in Karnataka.

Anti-Yediyurappa forces seem to be ganging up in at least seven Lok Sabha seats where those who were denied tickets have publicly slammed the father-son duo. The segments are: Tumkur, Shimoga, Haveri-Gadag, Bidar, Bangalore North, Davangere and even Belgaum (where party is yet to announce its nominee). 

However, many in BJP believe that the party veteran has the wherewithal to pull off a surprise by checkmating rebels who have raised the banner of revolt. 

This is reminiscent of the rebellion that broke out against BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh during the Assembly elections last year, following the ‘sidelining’ of Yediyurappa and his supporters.

Last year, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi rebelled against the BJP and joined Congress. Shettar has since returned to his parent party.  

Cut to 2024, former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa are on the warpath with the BJP.

Though the party is making efforts to reduce the impact of rebels playing spoilsport, BJP sources said, if the party fails to contain the rebellion in the nick of time, it may prove costly in the elections.

“Though the BJP is going to campaign for PM Modi and his achievements, it won’t be enough. We need to have a cohesive unit to win any battle. This is going to be the biggest challenge for Vijayendra’s leadership,” the source said.

Senior BJP leader Go Madhusudan told DH that the party had succeeded in pacifying leaders in Mysuru-Kodagu, where outgoing MP Pratap Simha has started campaigning publicly for the party’s candidate Yaduveer, the scion of the erstwhile royal family. 

“Similar efforts are going on elsewhere. All disgruntled leaders will have to fall in line as everyone knows that PM Modi is virtually contesting in all 543 seats of the country. The party is confident that all rebels will be pacified as election date approaches,” he said.