BENGALURU: In a bid to put to rest all speculation, Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra has asserted that there is “no proposal to change the state party president.”
His statement came in the backdrop of his unscheduled visit to New Delhi to meet BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh, who is widely seen in party circles as the architect behind the simmering unrest in the Karnataka BJP.
Rumours had intensified after the Bihar election results, with insiders claiming that Vijayendra, “unable to take the rumours anymore”, had rushed to Delhi to seek clarity from the high command. Instead, he emerged insisting that he will continue in the post he has held for two years and is poised to complete his three year term next year. “Whatever challenges arise, I will face them. I am working among cadres and will not be distracted,” he told reporters in Delhi after the meeting.
Vijayendra’s meeting with Santhosh is being closely watched in political circles. Santhosh, often described by sources as the BJP’s backstage strategist, has long been accused by state leaders of fuelling dissent, encouraging factionalism and creating space for rebels demanding Vijayendra’s ouster.
His role in orchestrating the steady drumbeat of rebellion against former CM BS Yediyurappa and now Vijayendra, from Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s threats to the Jarkiholi faction’s delegations to Delhi, remains a point of intense speculation inside the party.
Despite repeated flare-ups, the BJP top brass has avoided taking decisive action, choosing instead to issue show-cause notices and appeal for restraint as its Karnataka unit reels from dissension and organisational drift.
Vijayendra’s tenure has been riddled with accusations of nepotism, “adjustment politics” with the Congress, and using organisational levers to protect the Yediyurappa family. Rebels like Yatnal have continuously been a thorn in Vijayendra’s side while claiming support from dozens of MLAs. Many groups of leaders have marched to Delhi demanding his removal, but Yediyurappa’s influence, particularly among Lingayat voters, has kept the top brass cautious.
After the Bihar elections, reports suggested that the BJP might introduce internal elections for the state president -- a move seen as a direct challenge to Vijayendra’s authority. Yet his camp insists he enjoys the backing of “95% of MLAs and district chiefs”, and the high command is wary of igniting a full-scale revolt ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.