Basavaraj Bommai became the chief minister last year when BS Yediyurappa recommended him as his replacement.
Bangalore:
Despite several BJP leaders insisting that Basavaraj Bommai will not be replaced as Karnataka chief minister before elections are due in eight months, potential surprises from the high command are mounting.
In the latest, state unit leaders say the party may go for “community balance” as former chief minister BS Yediyurappa – a Lingayat like his loyalist Mr Bommai – has been promoted to its parliamentary board, the BJP’s top decision-making body. has been done. , Thus, Mr Bommai’s replacement could be from the Vokkaliga community, with Yeddyurappa, a 79-year-old veteran playing a key role in the campaign to keep the Lingayat sect happy.
Lingayats make up about 18 per cent of the state’s population – and are seen as the BJP’s vote bank – while Vokkaligas are estimated to be around 15 per cent.
Talking of “balance”, BJP sources said that by giving the Vokkaliga chair, the party may try to garner some votes from former PM HD Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular).
However, it’s going to be a precarious balance. The Congress recently doubled down on its efforts to at least split the Lingayat vote. Rahul Gandhi had recently visited a temporary seat of the sect.
The community was unhappy with the BJP when it removed BS Yediyurappa from the chief minister’s post last year. The party then accepted Mr Yeddyurappa’s loyalist and fellow Lingayat, Basavaraj Bommai, as a replacement. Mr Yediyurappa also now holds the top post once again.
But Mr Bommai continues to “puppet” taunts at him from both within the BJP and the opposition.
His tenure so far has been marked by allegations of corruption apart from his alleged failure to control communal violence, especially after the murder of a BJP youth wing leader. Party workers protested and alleged that the chief minister is “unable to protect our own people”.
Even when he was appointed, many in the party said that he did not have an RSS ‘branch’ background and thus “is not a native BJP man”. In recent weeks, he has tried to gain some Hindutva by talking about emulating UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
But it may be too late for that spin.
A top BJP leader said, “Yes, we are not happy with CM Bommai.” “One must remember, however, that Mr Bommai was chosen by PM Narendra Modi after consulting BS Yediyurappa and the RSS. He will not replace him; even if the high command replaces him, he will jeopardize his image just before the elections. Will put it in,” he said, unwilling to be named.
Instead there could be a cabinet expansion, early next week, this leader said.
Not much is revealed by mere conflicting statements, but speculation about Mr Bommai has also been rooted in recent times.
The fate of BS Yediyurappa, in particular, shows how the BJP works under the leadership of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Yeddyurappa has had four incomplete stints as chief minister, after the party came to power in Karnataka for the first time in 2008.
In 2018, the BJP did not actually win the election, but regained power a year later after the Congress-JDS government fell. BS Yediyurappa was seen as the man who managed it, so he was rewarded with the chair again.
When talk of his replacement started last year, a section of the central leadership insisted that he remain in office.
But he had to leave.
A generational shift was cited that led to Modi-Shah asking him to resign. He also faced allegations of infighting and corruption. Due to the community factor, his nomination of Mr Bommai was accepted. Others like Murgesh Nirani, Jagdish Shettar and Arvind Beland lost the race.
Mr Yediyurappa recently announced that he is retiring from electoral politics.
A few days later, he finds himself in the top panel of the BJP, and now has a bigger role to play in deciding who will be the CM candidate for 2023. Still, the old faithful Bommai finds himself out of favor.
Going back and forth shows that the BJP is not as prepared as it would like to be.
The Congress, though beset by its own infighting, is hoping to come together in time for a victory next year. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday was a big show of strength. Being from a backward community, he also has appeal among Dalits and religious minorities. He’s banking on a statewide stature to cross the line again. But state unit chief DK Shivakumar, who belongs to the Vokkaliga community, also has ambitions to become the chief minister.
The JDS is struggling to hold its Vokkaliga base together, as seen in some recent election results. That math is different for now, however, as the focus is on the BJP and Mr. Bommai’s immediate fate.