Vijayendra will replace Nalin Kumar Kateel as Karnataka BJP chief, in a move that marks the party's strategy to rely on Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa.
BJP appoints first-time MLA BY Vijayendra as the state party unit head on Friday. (supplied)
In a significant development in Karnataka politics, Lingayat strongman and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s younger son and first-time MLA BY Vijayendra was appointed the head of the state’s BJP unit on Friday, 10 November.
This appointment gained significance and is being seen as ‘course correction’ ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and local body elections following BJP’s abysmal performance in Karnataka assembly elections.
BJP’s attempt to replace BS Yediyurappa with younger generation of leaders eventually forcing him out of the Chief Minister’s chair were seen as tactics to sideline the Lingayat strongman. The decision was also seen as one of the reasons for BJP’s defeat in the recently held assembly election. In a bid to make course corrections, the saffron party has now once again gone back to relying on its tallest leader yet in Karnataka, albeit through his son – BY Vijayendra as State party chief.
After nearly six months of the culmination of the Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP has made its first major appointment by choosing Shikaripura MLA Vijayendra as its state president.
The term of the BJP incumbent state president and Mangaluru MP Nalin Kumar Kateel ended in August 2022. His term was extended owing to the 2023 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
After the party’s debacle in the Assembly polls, the now-ruling Congress criticised the BJP for failing to appoint a new state president and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly.
With the BJP high command giving the its Karnataka unit’s baton to the Lingayat community, the LoPs in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council are expected to be from Backward Class (BC) communities.
In focus is the Vokkaliga community, which is one of the influential communities — after Lingayats — in Karnataka.
The timing of the appointment of 47-year-old Vijayendra as the Karnataka BJP chief is being viewed as a crucial step for the BJP ahead of the looming 2024 Lok Sabha and local body elections.
In a press release, BJP national general secretary and Karnataka unit in-charge Arun Singh said: “BJP National President JP Nadda has appointed Vijayendra Yediyurappa as the state president of Karnataka. The appointment comes into immediate effect. [sic]”
Big change in @BJP4Karnataka.
Former Chief Minister & lingayat strongman @BSYBJP‘s son & party VP @BYVijayendra appointed President of Karnataka BJP.A huge move ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Clear attempt at course correction by @BJP4India. @TheSouthfirst pic.twitter.com/sqITFb8yX3
— Anusha Ravi Sood (@anusharavi10) November 10, 2023
This appointment comes after the incumbent BJP settled for a mere 65 seats in the 10 May Karnataka Assembly polls, where Congress won a record 135 seats.
According to sources in the party: “Yediyurappa had met the party high command and lobbied for his son to be appointed the state president.”
BJP leader and former Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr Ashwath Narayan told South First: “I extend my best wishes to Vijayendra. The party will reach new heights under his leadership.”
Ashwath Narayan, who was also one of the aspirants for Karnataka BJP president post, added: “I will not deliberate on whether it’s a good move by the party or not at this moment. The appointment has been made today. I will deliberate in detail on this in the coming days.”
It may also be noted that this appointment is not in line with the BJP’s opposition on dynastic politics and nepotism.
Yediyurappa’s elder son BY Raghavendra is a BJP MP from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha segment.
Vijayendra’s appointment as the Karnataka BJP chief is expected to strategically help the party gain momentum in the state ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls.
He is, after all, from the influential Lingayat community, is said to be popular among youths, and has clout in the Old Mysore region and other parts of Karnataka.
Meanwhile, it is not just the party workers but also several BJP leaders who publicly criticised the party high command for its poor show in the Assembly polls.
The factors they cited were the sidelining of senior Lingayat leaders, forcing Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa to quit the chief minister’s post in 2021, and giving tickets to over 70 new faces.
It may be noted that Vijayendra was one of those 70 new faces, albeit contesting the elections from a seat that his father vacated for him.
Some BJP leaders — especially from the Yediyurappa faction — singled out BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh for the party’s poor performance in the Assembly polls and making attempts to develop alternative leadership against Yediyurappa.
Vijayendra is perceived to have risen to popularity in the party by successfully managing various assignments, especially in the 2019 Assembly by-polls. He played a key role in ensuring the party’s victory in the Mandya’s KR Pete and Sira Assembly by-polls.
He gained popularity to such an extent in the Old Mysore region that he wanted to contest against current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from Mysuru’s Varuna Assembly segment in the 2018 polls.
However, the party denied him a ticket at the last moment owing to political reasons.
Political commentator Ashok Chandaragi told South First: “This is a good move by the BJP. The party failed miserably after it sidelined Lingayat strongman Yediyurappa in the Assembly polls.”
He added: “The party appointing a state president from the Lingayat community will definitely send a strong message in the state, because not only does Yediyurappa have a close association with all the seers and pontiffs of prominent mutts in Karnataka but also because Vijayendra enjoys the same rapport with all the mutts.”
He also said: “Vijayendra might be a first-time MLA, but has been working for the cadre for several years. He also succeeded in the assignments entrusted by the high command to him in the by-polls. This will be of great help to the party in the Lok Sabha elections. This will also increase the responsibility on Yediyurappa. He will become more active from now.”
In a tale of political manoeuvring preceding the Karnataka Assembly polls, the BJP high command embarked on an unsuccessful attempt to identify alternative leadership, sidelining the formidable Lingayat figure and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa.
However, the latest developments reveal a recalibration in the party’s strategy, as the central leadership has once again turned to the influential leader, a move underscored by the appointment of Vijayendra as the president of the state party unit.
The decision holds implications not only for the internal dynamics of the BJP but also for the broader political landscape in Karnataka, as the party gears up for critical electoral contests in the next six months.
Even several prominent mutts, who are said to be the biggest supporters of BJP in the polls, were also upset at the BJP for sidelining Yediyurappa and making him resign from the chief minister’s post in 2021.
Upset over these developments in the saffron cadre, some pontiffs openly announced support to Congress in the Assembly polls. This was a huge setback for the BJP in the polls.
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