CHAMARAJANAGAR, BENGALURU : While it looks like BY Vijayendra is here to continue as state BJP president for the remainder of his one-year term, Union Minister of State V Somanna has set the political grapevine abuzz with a cryptic yet loaded comment, “I’m presently a union minister handling work across states. My responsibilities are national.”
Will Somanna be elevated as state BJP president in the middle of Vijayendra’s term after former helped the NDA get 19 seats in the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is the question. This round of rebellion started after the bypolls where the BJP did not do well. Vijayendra is the son of party strongman BS Yediyurappa.
Confirming his meeting with Yediyurappa-Vijayendra loyalist Renukacharya, Somanna said, “Yes, he met me on July 16. We had a discussion.” He refused to elaborate but added a stinging remark that many see as a veiled warning to the party brass: “There are veterans like me in the party who know what injections to give - publicly and privately.”
The remark, laced with political intent, comes amid rising discontent within the party’s old guard and rebel faction. At the heart of the churn is the growing perception that Vijayendra, the current state BJP president, is consolidating power by handpicking district presidents loyal to him - allegedly sidelining other influential leaders.
Several disgruntled voices from the BJP’s rebel camp, speaking to TNIE on condition of anonymity, accused Vijayendra of promoting a “loyalty-first” culture over leadership or inclusivity. “We need district leaders who represent the full spectrum of the party, not just a coterie. 2028 is too critical to gamble with one man’s inner circle,” said a senior leader of the state BJP from South Karnataka.
Another rebel leader added, “It’s unfortunate that a towering leader like Yediyurappa is openly batting for his son, while grassroots leaders are being left out of critical decisions. This isn’t the party we built.” But Vijayendra’s camp hit back hard. A close aide, speaking to TNIE, questioned the timing and motives behind the dissent. “Where were these voices when Nalin Kumar Kateel was president for about four years? The party crashed to just over 60 seats then. No one said a word,” he said.
In a parting shot, the aide added cryptically, “Everyone knows the mega leader who is fanning this so-called rebellion. The question is —why now?”
As BJP’s Karnataka unit enters a decisive phase, with the 2028 assembly polls on the horizon, insiders fear the clash between legacy and loyalty may spill out into full-blown factional war.