According to Vijayendra, there will be a BJP legislature party meeting on Thursday, or Friday, to pick the opposition leader.
BY Vijayendra with BY Yeddiyurappa. (X)
Newly-appointed BJP Karnataka president BY Vijayendra has said he would “set right” any discordant notes over his appointment in the coming days, and take everyone along.
“If there are any minor differences, then my first priority will be to take the party forward with the blessings and guidance of seniors in the party. I will set right any discordant notes in the coming days,” the son of BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa told reporters in Tumakuru on Sunday, 12 November.
This comes amid the remarks by BJP senior leader CT Ravi, who tried to dodge questions related to the appointment of Vijayendra as the state party president — especially given the Congress hitting back over “dynasty politics” — and in a cryptic remark said he too was haunted by certain “questions”.
The names of Ravi, who has in the past served as BJP’s national general secretary, and Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, were earlier doing the rounds for the post.
“I have conveyed my congratulations to Vijayendra. This is not power, this is a responsibility. This responsibility is not something that is taken by asking for it… I’m not an aspirant for any post, and in the last two-and-half-decades I have not asked for any post, but have fulfilled the responsibility given to me by the party,” Ravi said on Saturday, in response to a question about him being upset.
He said, “When I have not asked for the post, there is no question of being upset or disgruntled.”
To a question on Vijayendra’s appointment being seen as dynasty politics, against which he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have repeatedly spoken in the past, Ravi said, “If I speak anything about this, there are chances of attaching a wrong meaning to it.
The 47-year-old, who is a first-time MLA from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, replaced Nalin Kumar Kateel, a three-time Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada, who had completed his three-year term as BJP state president and was given an extension last year in view of the assembly elections held in May this year.
The party, which was ousted from power by the Congress in the elections, has not yet decided on the Opposition leader in the Karnataka Assembly.
According to Vijayendra, there will be a BJP legislature party meeting on Thursday, 16 November, or Friday, 17 November, to pick the Opposition leader. The meeting would be attended by BJP central observers.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, and accusing it of “dynasty politics” — a charge the saffron party levels against Rahul Gandhi — the Congress in Karnataka posted on X: “Congratulations to the son of Yediyurappa, who has been elected as the new state president of BJP on the merit of him being Yediyurappa’s son.”
Meanwhile, Vijayendra’s father Yediyurappa on Saturday said he did not expect that his son to be appointed the party’s Karnataka unit president, adding that he had never put in a word for him with the party leadership in New Delhi.
The former chief minister expressed confidence that Vijayendra would take everyone in the party together to strengthen the organisation and ensure that the BJP wins more than 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the parliamentary polls.
On a question about “BJP’s rout in the election after Yediyurappa was sidelined at the time”, he said never ever did the question arise about “anyone being sidelined by someone”.
He said Yediyurappa became more active and toured across the state after stepping down as chief minister, and all the senior party leaders worked to strengthen the party.
“We may have been defeated in the election, but keeping all that aside, we will put more effort to win all those seats we had won last time in the upcoming Lok Sabha election,” Vijayendra underlined.
Regarding BJP-JD(S) ties, he said discussions had taken place at the central level. He said he would go to Delhi and discuss with the seniors in the party on how to carry it (ties) forward.
(With PTI inputs)
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