The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which made a strong comeback in neighbouring Maharashtra and is going strong in several Hindi heartland states, is facing its worst-ever crisis in Karnataka — its gateway to the South. It is in total disarray. Internal strife has spilled over to the streets, and there is hardly any semblance of discipline.
The ruling Congress’s 3:0 win in the recent bypolls and other disconcerting developments within the BJP have left its workers bewildered. Many in the party are puzzled as to why the central leadership is taking so long to bring order to the chaos. The situation has reached a complex stage. Any hurried resolution could hurt the party big, especially when it has suffered electoral reverses in the bypolls and needs to take on the Congress, which is bolstered by its wins.
After the bypolls setback, the BJP risks losing control over the narrative against the state government, which faces several controversies. The ongoing tussle between the state unit led by BY Vijayendra and the team headed by former Union minister and MLA Basangounda Patil Yatnal gives the impression that in Karnataka, BJP is fighting BJP, instead of working as a cohesive unit. That could impact the BJP’s ability to function as an effective opposition within and outside the state legislature.
Differences between the two camps cropped up on several fronts. Be it the party’s Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites allotment case or the Waqf land issue. Several senior leaders abstained from the MUDA padayatra in August this year. In the Waqf land issue, the Yatnal team has launched its own campaign from Bidar, while the party’s state unit has other plans.
The situation within the party is so dire that the campaign, instead of highlighting the Waqf issue, is making news with its internal squabble. It went to such an extent that in Bidar, the BJP district unit president filed a complaint with police, accusing “unknown people” of using the party’s banners and posters during the campaign, seeking action against them.
The tussle between Vijayendra and Yatnal goes back to when BS Yediyurappa was chief minister. It seems to have only aggravated since the young leader’s elevation as the state president last year.
Vijayendra’s camp considers Yatnal an “overrated leader” and questions the party seniors’ silence over his tirade against Yediyurappa. They feel it’s time the party acts tough. Under his leadership, the party did well in the Lok Sabha polls and tried to keep up pressure on the government. He, however, seems to be not getting full backing from the seniors.
Those in the know of the developments say the state president had attempted to reach out to Yatnal to put an end to the differences. But, that offer for talks was turned down.
However, his detractors within the party question the state president’s style of functioning and many refuse to fully accept his leadership. Their strategy seems to keep up pressure on the party’s central leaders in the hope that they will consider making major changes in the state unit.
Yatnal has emerged as a firebrand Hindutva leader in the party, especially after he took up the Waqf land issue. Union minister Shobha Karandlaje and many party leaders joined the Yatnal-led protest. Jagadambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into the Waqf Amendment Bill, visited Vijayapura to talk to aggrieved farmers, giving credence to his campaign.
While intra-party differences between the state unit led by Vijayendra and the Yatnal team are most visible and vocal, there are many other groups and sub-groups at play, complicating the situation for the party.
Even the RSS’ intervention has failed to end the tussle. Those privy to the developments of the meeting called by the RSS leaders say it did not go well. Most BJP leaders invited for the meeting were ‘antagonistic’ towards Vijayendra. During the meeting, the state president is said to have told his party leaders that while he disagreed with their views, he was willing to take any suggestions in the party’s interest.
Even top leaders admit that internal differences within the party impacted the bypolls, especially in Shiggaon, where it couldn’t retain the assembly segment previously represented by former CM Basavaraj Bommai. His son Bharat Bommai was the candidate. The BJP, which was fully confident of winning the seat, failed to gauge the situation on the ground.
The results also showed that the biggest challenge for BJP today is to identify and groom leaders from different communities. It would be difficult for the party to win elections and come to power if it depends only on the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities for votes. The strong consolidation of minorities and backward classes in favour of Congress showed that the BJP needs to rework its strategy in Karnataka.
Now, as they sit down to introspect on reasons for the setbacks in the bypolls, discuss differences within the party, and prepare for the local body polls, the party needs to realise that even potent issues and controversies against the government will be insufficient to win votes if it continues to lack a strong strategy and a cohesive team at the top to energize the cadre.
The party, which is going strong in other parts of the country, faces a daunting task in Karnataka, a key state in the South.
Ramu Patil
Assistant Resident Editor
ramu@newindianexpress.com