The BJP registered a record win in 25 of the 28 seats in Karnataka in 2019. The Congress-JD(S) alliance had to settle for one seat each and an independent candidate won one seat.
Published Dec 30, 2023 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 30, 2023 | 10:00 AM
BJP's Karnataka unit chants unity mantra and teamwork, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (supplied)
In the first high-level meeting with the newly-appointed office bearers, the BJP’s Karnataka-unit veterans stressed unity and teamwork to sweep the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
With barely four months left for the elections, the political engineering — especially in the Karnataka BJP cadre under the headship of BY Vijayendra — has intensified in a bid to perform better than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Karnataka BJP high-level meeting between the core committee (comprising senior leaders) and newly appointed office bearers took place in the state party headquarters in Bengaluru City on Thursday, 28 December.
Former Karnataka chief ministers BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, and Sadananda Gowda, former deputy chief ministers KS Eshwarappa and Govind Karjol, and other senior leaders were present at the meeting.
Sadananda Gowda, former minister V Somanna, Hubballi-Dharwad West MLA Aravind Bellad, and Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had openly expressed their dissent over various issues related to the party affairs. This had become a big headache for the party ahead of the general elections.
It may also be noted that ever since the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls ended, the Karnataka BJP has been marred with a lack of unity and brimming dissent within the cadre over various issues — especially on the appointment of the state president and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
Meanwhile, some BJP leaders have rejected the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha resolution on separate religion status.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had registered a record win in 25 of the 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka.
The Congress and the JD(S) — who fought in alliance — had to settle for one seat each, and an independent candidate won the remaining seat.
Under the leadership of BY Vijayendra, the younger son of Yediyurappa, the BJP has set a herculean target of winning all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.
It may be noted that the BJP and the JD(S) are now in an alliance, where the regional party will be contesting at least three seats.
ಪಕ್ಷದ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಲಯ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಭವನದಲ್ಲಿಂದು @BJP4Karnataka ಪಕ್ಷದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಾಯಕರುಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸಭೆ ನಡೆಸಲಾಯಿತು. ಮುಂಬರುವ ಲೋಕಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆ, ನೂತನ ಪದಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಸಂಘಟನಾತ್ಮಕ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚಿಸಲಾಯಿತು.
ಈ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸಂಸದೀಯ ಮಂಡಳಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಸಮಿತಿ ಸದಸ್ಯರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ… pic.twitter.com/PZnWdlq0wu
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) December 28, 2023
In the meeting, apart from calling for unity and teamwork, veteran leaders such as Yediyurappa, Eshwarappa and Karjol all insisted that the disgruntled leaders set aside their differences and work for the betterment of the party.
Karjol told South First: “It was the first meeting between the core committee and the newly appointed office bearers. We have given several suggestions to the young and new team, ahead of the general elections. The deliberations were made mostly on the Lok Sabha elections. We have insisted on them to begin preparations for the general elections at the earliest as there are barely four months left for the polls.”
He added: “We have asked the party bearers to organise workshops at the rural areas, towns and taluka headquarters for the publicity of the union government programmes and schemes, intensify protest against the state government for failing to fulfil the five guarantees and tackle drought.”
Karjol also said that the deliberations on candidates would happen only after the seat share between the BJP and the JD(S) was finalised.
The Karnataka BJP’s newly appointed vice-president Murugesh Nirani told South First: “The deliberations were confined to Lok Sabha polls and state party affairs. The senior leaders have given several suggestions to strengthen the party for the Lok Sabha polls.”
He added: “The Assembly polls results will not have any impact on the general elections. People are already cursing the Siddaramaiah government for its failure to deliver the guarantees. We will encash it and emerge victorious in all the 28 seats under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Nirani, who lost the Bilagi seat in the May Assembly polls, also said: “The leaders did not hold any discussions over seat sharing. It is too early. The high command will take a call on this only after the seat sharing between the BJP and the JD(S) is finalised. It is clear that the alliance partner will not contest in any of the seats in North Karnataka. Instead, it will be given all the seats in the south.”
After the newly appointed office-bearers of the Karnataka BJP were announced recently, Sadananda Gowda publicly criticised Vijayendra for not consulting the senior leaders and the core committee while finalising their names.
Meanwhile, Karjol told South First: “We will not deny that there is dissent in the party. It will be there in every party. We have held elaborate discussions on this and appealed to all the disgruntled leaders to keep aside their differences for the welfare of the cadre.”
He added: “We have also stressed unity and work as a team to ensure overwhelming results in the general elections. The disgruntled leaders have agreed to it. Moreover, the dissent will hardly make any impact on a party like the BJP.”
In a major decision, the core committee and newly appointed office bearers decided to write a complaint against MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to the high command demanding disciplinary action over his recent statements targeting Yediyurappa and members of his his family.
On condition of anonymity, a BJP leader told South First: “Several leaders not only condemned the statements of Yatnal but also demanded action against him. After deliberations, it was decided to take it up with the high command. The party’s central disciplinary committee will take necessary action against him. If he continues with the same attitude, the time is not so far when he will be expelled from the party. It is serious on this matter.”
On the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha (AIVM) resolution over separate religion status, the BJP leaders asserted that they did not support it.
In a significant development, the AIVM passed eight resolutions — including asking the community people to mention Veerashaiva or Lingayat in the religion column instead of “Hindus”.
This sparked speculations in Karnataka that the AIVM was likely to push for a separate religion status for Veerashaiva-Lingayats.
Meanwhile, the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha welcomed the AIVM’s decision on the matter.
It may also be noted that the AIVM’s women’s wing president is Yediyurappa’s daughter.
On the AIVM’s resolution, Nirani told South First: “The BJP will never agree to a separate religion for Veerashaiva-Lingayats. The AIVM has turned out to like the Congress, as most of the office bearers from the grand old party.”
He added: “Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Lingayats are Hindus. They have not taken everyone into confidence while making this major decision. No discussions were also held in the core committee meeting on this. We will continue to oppose it.”
