BENGALURU: With Belagavi again at the epicentre, dissent is slowly but surely brewing in the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka just a day after the cabinet formation. It is not just the question of who were and who were not included in the cabinet, but also the order in which ministers took an oath of office that is bothering many within the party.
After making its message clear on who is in charge, with the order it set for ministers to take oath, the BJP top brass is sitting back, putting the onus of quelling dissent entirely on Chief Minister Yediyurappa.
Since Tuesday’s cabinet formation, despite being clueless about why some names were dropped from the list of ministers, Yediyurappa has been busy fire-fighting dissent which is threatening to drag his government the Congress-JDS coalition way.
Those who made it to the cabinet too have, behind closed doors, expressed a gnawing irritation over leaders like former CM Jagadish Shettar and DyCMs K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka being deliberately placed after first-time minister Dr C N Ashwathnarayan and Lakshman Savadi. The latter not only lost the assembly polls but was also forced to quit as minister in the earlier BJP government over a porn clip controversy.
When it came to the formation of Narendra Modi’s cabinet earlier this year, Amit Shah was sworn in right after the PM, stamping his importance in the council of ministers. If the same logic is to be applied to Karnataka’s cabinet, then Govind Karjol, followed by Ashwathnarayana and Lakshman Savadi trump other seniors.
“Many in the party believe that the trio was touted to be Deputy Chief Ministers and hence their names appeared right on top of the list,” said a state BJP office-bearer.
From eight-time MLA and Yediyurappa’s close aide Umesh Katti to the Jarkiholi brothers, who have always made it to the cabinet, irrespective of whichever government in the last 15 years, big names from Belagavi have been left out this time. Surprisingly, even the CM doesn’t seem to know why.
Political analysts believe that the order of oath-taking was no coincidence. “The list is not just about age or seniority, but about which group the ministers belong to — Yediyurappa’s, BJP central leadership’s, or individuals who have established themselves independently.
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The list is a clear statement of the top brass’s control — people picked by the central leaders getting precedence over local state leaders,” pointed out political analyst Prof Narendar Pani.
“The central leadership doesn’t mind going to polls if Yediyurappa is not able to contain dissent. In fact, going to elections will be its best bet to sideline the old guard, including Yediyurappa, to establish its absolute authority over state politics.
Propping up Ashwathnarayana as a Vokkaliga leader and Laxman Savadi as the next Lingayat leader when tall leaders of the communities already exist could just be the first indication of what is to come,” pointed another state BJP leader.
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The anger in BJP is now double-fold and the portfolio allocation is only expected to increase the troubles for Yediyurappa.
Those disappointed over non-inclusion in the cabinet are showing a lot restraint, but sources in the party suggest that they might run out of patience soon if their concerns are not addressed at the earliest.
With the central leadership comfortable with whichever way the situation swings, it is now up to Yediyurappa to save his government.
‘Will talk to sulking MLAs’Tumakuru: CM
BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday said he will talk to the BJP MLAs who had been expecting cabinet berths but had missed out. He said Umesh Katti and Basavaraj Bommai had held an hour-long discussion over the former missing the berth.