BENGALURU: The BJP ‘rebel’ team led by senior leader and Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal pulled out all stops to remove BY Vijayendra from the post of state unit president, but it is to be seen whether their effort yielded the intended results or not.
The party high command, busy with the Delhi assembly polls which concluded on Wednesday, is likely to look into Karnataka’s affairs after the results on February 8. It is likely to declare the Karnataka unit party president unanimously, either on February 9 or 10, according to sources.
It is unlikely to announce elections to the state president’s post, as it is not a party norm. State in-charge for organisational elections and Union minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan is likely to arrive and make an official announcement.
In all probability, Vijayendra is likely to continue as state president with the blessings of the high command, especially Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Reshuffling the office-bearers by including some dissidents and changing district presidents is on the cards, they added.
Former minister Kumar Bangarappa, whom the rebels tried to project as state presidential candidate if elections are declared, would be placated with the offer of party general secretary, a BJP insider said.
The rebels’ objection that most of the presidents appointed to 23 organisational districts were Vijayendra’s loyalists, would be addressed by the high command.
Yatnal’s team, including former ministers Kumar Bangarappa and Ramesh Jarkiholi, having camped in the national capital for two days and met Central leaders, except Shah, returned on Wednesday evening. However, they said they will return to New Delhi on February 9. “If the high command declares a leader as party president, Yatnal’s faction is unlikely to go,” observed a BJP leader.
They tried to capitalize on the issue of former minister B Sriramulu, who was miffed after party’s state in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal grilled him on his failure to ensure the party candidate’s victory in the Sandur bypoll. But Vijayendra managed to assuage Sriramulu by sending BJP state general secretary P Rajeev to him.
Besides, Chikkaballapur MP Dr K Sudhakar’s strong exception to the appointment of the district president without his consultation appears to be resolved, and changes in the party’s organisation would reflect after the high command’s decision. The BJP rebels also met former chief minister and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai and tried to push candidature for the president post, sources.