Yediyurappa said the final decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda.
BY Vijayendra with BS Yediyurappa. (X)
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacks “family politics” of opponents in one election rally after another across the country, the party’s decision to appoint BY Vijayendra as Karnataka state president has allowed Opposition to show the BJP the mirror.
Amid criticism of nepotism from the Congress, newly elected BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra has reason to revel.
After years of attempt to sideline his father — veteran BS Yediyurappa — and cut him down to size by baiters within the party, the BJP was left with no option but to once again depend on the Lingayat strongman in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
With his job cut out, BY Vijayendra has insisted on working together with everyone.
And he also did some tough talking on Saturday, 11 November, saying the saffron party cadres would not shy away from agitations against the ruling Congress in the state, and would also give a “befitting response” to the grand old party in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
“There is no example of BJP workers backing off from any struggle or agitation. It is in the blood of our party workers, there is no question of fearing and running away,” Vijayendra told reporters a day after he was named state party chief.
Vijayendra, the younger son of veteran leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, was responding to a comment that BJP workers were not taking part in agitations as they feared the Congress government would book cases against them.
“Let Congress be however vociferous, our workers will organise the party, going beyond such things, and we will give a befitting response in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” said Vijayendra, who was state vice-president till his elevation on Friday.
A hectic Day 1
On his first day as state chief, Vijayendra made a statement of intent by visiting the residence of the party’s booth president at Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment in Bengaluru.
Given that there are 58,282 booths in Karnataka, Vijayendra said that strengthening the party at the booth level was a priority — and hence his visit to the home of a booth president.
Noting that both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President JP Nadda firmly believed in the idea that the “party will win the country, if it wins booths”, Vijayendra said that several party stalwarts have grown to the level they are today by starting off as booth presidents.
Vijayendra, 47, a first-time MLA from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, replaces Nalin Kumar Kateel, a three-time Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada, who had completed his three-year term as the BJP state president, and was given an extension last year in view of the impending Assembly elections.
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.
“None of us had expected, whether you believe it or not, not even a single day I had asked anyone in Delhi to make Vijayendra the state president. You can ask anyone,” Yediyurappa said in response to a question, about whether he expected Vijayendra’s appointment as state president.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the final decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Nadda.
“I had no role in between.”
Responding to a question about Congress calling Vijayendra’s appointment — proof of “dynasty politics” in BJP, Yediyurappa said, “Let them make such allegations, no issue. After travelling across the state and looking at the response of the people, let them react.”
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.”
“ಯಡಿಯೂರಪ್ಪನವರ ಮಗ” ಎಂಬ ಅರ್ಹತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ನೂತನ ರಾಜ್ಯಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾಗಿ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯಾದ “ಯಡಿಯೂರಪ್ಪನವರ ಮಗ”ನಿಗೆ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು..
“ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಟುಂಬ ರಾಜಕಾರಣವಿಲ್ಲ” ಎಂಬ ಸುಳ್ಳನ್ನು ನಂಬಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ!
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) November 10, 2023
To a question, whether the road ahead will be tough for Vijayendra, Yediyurappa said, that no role is easy for a person, after taking over the responsibility.
Asserting that Vijayendra will strive to bring everyone together in the party, the state BJP strongman said, “We will see to it that no one leaves the party and will make efforts to bring back those, who have gone out.”
Asked about Vijayendra’s appointment upsetting several senior leaders in the party, he said, “There is no such thing, no one has expressed any disgruntlement. Everyone has unitedly welcomed it (appointment).”
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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