BENGALURU, UDUPI: After its poor show in the by-polls to the three Assembly seats in Karnataka, the state unit of the BJP is likely to take some corrective measures, including making changes in the state office-bearers and appealing to the party central leadership to rein in the rebel leaders.
Party sources said that state BJP president BY Vijayendra will discuss these issues with the central leaders in December.
Vijayapura BJP MLA Basangounda Patil Yatnal is the most vocal critic of the state leadership of the party.
Informed sources said that during his visit to New Delhi early next month, Vijayendra will take up the Yatnal issue with the central leadership to convince them to take appropriate action. The party can no longer allow Yatnal to target the state leadership and damage its image, sources added.
“Some leaders in the party may be under the impression that the state unit president may be changed in December, but that will not happen,” sources said.
The party will take some corrective measures, including changes in the party office bearers next month, sources elaborated. Vijayendra was accused of not consulting the senior leaders in the party in the state while deciding on his team of office-bearers.
The party suffered a setback in Shiggoan and Sandur, while its alliance partner JDS lost in the Channapatna Assembly seat in the recent bypoll.
While Sandur was represented by the Congress, BJP MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai was elected from Shiggaon in 2023. The defeat came as a big shock for the BJP as it was fully confident of retaining the seat. The BJP leaders failed to gauge the situation on the ground, sources said.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Udupi, state BJP general secretary V Sunil Kumar said that a state-level party meeting to find reasons for the by-poll defeat will be held on Tuesday.
The Karkala MLA said that victory of the Congress does not mean that the people of the state have accepted its corrupt practices.
“I do not deny that the bypoll results are a setback to the party. But we will introspect. We will review the results of the three constituencies,” he said.
On BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal’s dissent against Vijayendra’s leadership, Sunil Kumar said that the issue will also be discussed. He said that BJP central leaders will visit Karnataka in first week of December.
In the recent encounter of Naxal leader Vikram Gowda in Udupi district, Sunil Kumar said that there are “Urban Naxals” who support the Naxals wandering inside the forests.
“Urban Naxals might call it a fake encounter, but we commend the efforts of the Anti-Naxal Force,” he added.