New Delhi: Beset with an ‘picture drawback’, infighting and allegations of corruption, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is gazing an arduous path forward of the Karnataka election. As a substitute of showcasing the Bommai-led authorities’s achievements entrance and centre, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) has determined to play it protected by taking refuge within the shadow of former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, its final Brahmastra.
The backlash over its caste-based reservation gambit, inner reviews hinting at anti-incumbency and problem in shedding the ‘corrupt’ label have made the BJP anxious about its re-election prospects in Karnataka.
For Bommai, who’s making an attempt to broaden his enchantment, an endorsement from Yediyurappa — the tallest chief from the Lingayat group — is a should, apart from the favour of Karnataka’s different dominant group, the Vokkaligas.
That is maybe why the BJP excessive command is prepared to drag out all of the stops to maintain an unwilling Yediyurappa, 79, in good spirits until the elections slated for later this yr, in accordance with a central BJP chief who didn’t want to be named.
CM Bommai was requested to take particular care to make sure that none of his actions anger Yediyurappa, the chief mentioned, including that the occasion additionally directed Bommai to provide the go-ahead to subject Yediyurappa’s political inheritor and Karnataka BJP vice-president B.S. Vijayendra from the veteran Lingayat chief’s seat, Shikaripura, within the upcoming polls.
“Yediyurappa and the CM (Bommai) have superb tuning. Each respect one another, and there’s no doubt that Yediyurappa is the tallest chief (in Karnataka),” BJP nationwide basic secretary Arun Singh advised ThePrint.
“Each Yediyurappa and the CM have been at an occasion, Bommai requested him to inaugurate the venture, however Yediyurappa refused and advised him that he was the chief minister and the inauguration ought to be carried out by the CM solely,” Singh, the occasion’s in control of Karnataka, added.
After shedding Himachal Pradesh to the Congress, BJP’s inner suggestions in Karnataka — the one state in southern India the place it’s in energy — has put its nationwide management on discover.
“The preliminary surveys in Karnataka are by no means encouraging, however as a substitute worrying,” a second central BJP chief advised ThePrint.
“We’ve got to make sure that Yediyurappa will not be dissuaded at any value. By taking part in the caste card, we have now tried to steadiness social equations for blunting anti-incumbency. However how efficient this can be is tough to say. There isn’t sufficient time and quite a lot of disaster administration (to be carried out). PM Modi may even need to put in larger efforts,” the chief added.
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Yediyurappa not getting a good discount?
The BJP’s drawback in Karnataka is two-pronged: its wager on Bommai has not paid off and it doesn’t have one other mass chief like Yediyurappa.
Yediyurappa’s 15-minute assembly with PM Modi was a spotlight of the BJP’s nationwide govt meet held earlier this month in Delhi. Through the interplay, the 2 mentioned Vijayendra’s candidature and an invite for Modi to attend the inauguration of the airport in Shivamogga, the parliamentary constituency of Yediyurappa’s elder son B.Y. Raghavendra, a Karnataka BJP chief mentioned.
Yediyurappa has already expressed want to inaugurate the airport earlier than his eightieth birthday on 27 February.
Nevertheless, sources in central management mentioned the assembly with Modi was extra about pull the BJP’s wagon out of the muck in Karnataka. Modi additionally advised Yediyurappa that the occasion anticipated extra help from him within the poll-bound state, they mentioned.
Yediyurappa had made headlines together with his absence throughout Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah’s three-day go to to the state and PM Modi’s Swami Vivekanand Jayanti occasion. In December, occasion leaders needed to persuade him to share the stage with BJP nationwide president J.P. Nadda, who was within the state to participate in a yatra organised by Karnataka unit.
Sources within the Yediyurappa camp mentioned he was by no means requested to attend Nadda’s assembly, including that he was on the stage with Nadda once they launched the occasion’s ballot marketing campaign.
Bommai was made CM owing to his Lingayat roots and his chemistry with Yediyurappa however he lacks the identical charisma. On prime of that, graft costs, allegations of lack of decisive management and infighting have additional dented the picture of his authorities.
In keeping with sources in Karnataka BJP, Yediyurappa performed a central function in consolidating the state’s 17 per cent Lingayat vote that propelled the occasion’s rise to energy within the state. The BJP believes that Yediyurappa will keep on with the occasion and that the Panchamasalis — a big group amongst Lingayats — may even be persuaded to vote for it.
Retaining its Lingayat vote collectively at any value is primarily why the BJP’s excessive command has adopted the technique to preserve Yediyurappa shut. Nadda’s mutt yatra, together with the occasion’s nine-day Vijay Sankalp Yatra, was additionally part of this technique to consolidate the occasion’s core voter base.
It was on the premise of an inner report that the BJP ultimately determined to induct Yediyurappa to its apex decision-making physique — the parliamentary board — for appeasing the Lingayats. As a present of respect, he was despatched to attend the Gujarat BJP legislature occasion meet in Ahmedabad as a central observer after the occasion’s sweeping win in Modi’s dwelling state.
“Yediyurappa doesn’t appear too proud of these gestures. In comparison with what the BJP is asking of him, he isn’t getting sufficient illustration. Induction into the parliamentary board is symbolic. A publish like nationwide vice-president is meaningless for him. He has no want for symbolic or nationwide politics. He needs at hand over his legacy as a Lingayat chief over to his brother, that’s the actual drawback,” a 3rd central BJP chief mentioned.
Vokkaliga, JD(S) & Congress
The BJP can also be trying to shore up its seat rely in previous Mysuru and Hyderabad-Karnataka areas that account for 40 meeting seats. These are areas the place the Janata Dal (Secular) is the dominant political pressure.
Of the 64 meeting seats in Previous Mysuru, the BJP may win solely 13 in 2018.
To cowl all of its bases, the BJP made positive to provide illustration to the Vokkaligas by inducting members from the group at central and state ranges, each within the occasion and in authorities. Seven Vokkaligas have been inducted into the Bommai Cupboard in 2021. As well as, Shobha Karandlaje was made a junior union minister, whereas C.T. Ravi was made a BJP nationwide basic secretary.
Vokkaligas, who make up 14 per cent of Karnataka’s voters, are seen as core voters of JD(S).
Throughout his go to final month, Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah skilled his weapons on JD(S) chief and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
“JD(S) leaders search votes from Lingayats, Kurubas and different teams by citing Modi’s closeness with Deve Gowda. Quite the opposite, BJP doesn’t get Vokkaliga votes owing to the propaganda towards it primarily based on that rapport — a mistake Shah tried to right by attacking JD(S). With that technique, he’s trying to divide the anti-incumbency vote by making it a triangular contest,” mentioned one other central BJP chief.
The BJP, mentioned Singh, is making efforts to “enhance its efficiency within the Mysuru area”.
The state’s determination to “improve reservation for Dalits from 15 to 17 per cent and for tribal teams, from 3 to 7 per cent” has resulted in “an environment of happiness”, he mentioned. “There isn’t a level within the Congress’s marketing campaign towards the CM and the federal government. Quite the opposite, they (Opposition) are doing their very own injury by attacking the chief minister.”
A Karnataka BJP vice-president advised ThePrint, “Simply as Dalits in UP are leaning in the direction of BJP as a result of Mayawati is weak, we’re displaying respect to Deve Gowda and attacking Kumaraswamy, and giving illustration to Vokkaliga leaders. Many (Vokkaligas) could flock to us in previous Mysuru the place Congress, JD(S) are primary rivals. BJP is making an attempt to make the competition triangular. Our doorways are open to Vokkaliga ticket seekers from each the JD(S) and the Congress.”
The outgoing meeting has 100 MLAs from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Of those, 58 are Lingayats and 42 Vokkaligas. These embrace 38 Lingayat MLAs from the BJP and 23 from the JD(S).
The BJP’s ballot technique is to not permit the division of Lingayat votes, break up the Vokkaliga vote, or get the endorsement of Dalits, and go for polarisation in Muslim-majority areas.
Furthermore, the BJP is making vigorous efforts to dent the Congress’s conventional Scheduled Caste vote financial institution as underlined by PM Modi distributing patta (lease) to 52,000 Banjaras who has a notable presence in Hyderabad-Karnataka area.
For the Congress, Chief of Opposition Siddaramaiah’s constant assaults on the BJP is an indicator of the occasion’s election technique.
“Mallikarjun Kharge, who’s now Congress president, had begun the method of giving land on lease to the underprivileged in income villages in 1990. This was prolonged by the Congress authorities however we didn’t have sufficient time at hand out the lease. The BJP needs to reap the crop grown by us,” Siddaramaiah had mentioned final week.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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