Karnataka BJP State chief B.Y. Vijayendra predicts internal rebellion in ruling Congress

BJP State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra claimed that dissidence in the ruling Congress in Karnataka had reached a flashpoint, and senior leaders as well as MLAs were set to rebel against Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Interacting with mediapersons on October 20 after participating in the Ayudha Pooja celebrations at the BJP office in Bengaluru, Mr. Vijayendra claimed, “Mr. Shivakumar’s political base is shaking due to various reasons. He is frustrated as senior Congress leaders and MLAs are set to raise a banner of revolt against him. Hence, the Chief Minister is repeatedly trying to point an accusing finger at the Centre to divert public attention.”

However, Mr. Vijayendra ruled out any possibilities of the BJP trying to remove the Congress government. “People have voted the BJP to be in opposition this time. We will continue to be in the opposition for the remaining term of one-and-a-half years. There is no need for the BJP to unseat this Congress government,” he said.

He alleged that the government had completely failed to handle the drought gripping Karnataka. “The Congress government is yet to take off with respect to development work though it had come to power about three-and-a-half years ago. The administration is so pathetic that even physically challenged persons had come to the streets to demand social security pension,” he alleged.

Drought delegation

Mr. Vijayendra dropped hints that the BJP is open to discussion on changing its stance of boycotting the all-party delegation that is expected to visit Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek assistance for drought relief in Karnataka.

“We will take a decision on whether to participate in the all-party delegation after discussing the issue with our party and opposition leaders,” he said.

Unexpected meeting with expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal

On meeting his arch rival Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who has been expelled from the BJP, in Hubballi a few days ago, Mr. Vijayendra said it was an ‘unexpected meeting’ that took place in a common friend’s house after both took part in a religious programme involving Jain monks. When asked if it was an indication that he was trying to get Mr. Yatnal back into the party fold, Mr. Vijayendra said, “Let us wait and watch.”

One of the reasons for the expulsion of Mr. Yatnal was his continuous criticism of former chief minister B. S. Yediyurappa and Mr. Vijayendra. However, some prominent BJP leaders have started expressing a view that Mr. Yatnal, known for pursuing a hard core Hindutva ideology, should be brought back into the party fold ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls to avoid division in the party’s support base.

Protest by sugarcane farmers against NDA government

Referring to the protest by sugarcane farmers in Karnataka, Mr. Vijayendra said a committee had been constituted to look into the issue after Union Minister Pralhad Joshi took up the matter with his colleague Shivaraj Singh Chauhan who is expected to visit Karnataka soon.

“The problem of sugarcane farmers is not confined to Karnataka. The Centre has to take a call on responding to their demands considering the situation in not just within the country, but at the international level. The Centre is already working on it,” he said.

He claimed that if sugarcane farmers had got any justice, it was from the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to new policies supporting value addition related to sugar and its byproducts, and assistance for management of sugar factories.