Bickering in BJP may hit membership drive, fear leaders

Less than a week after the RSS stepped in to resolve differences within the BJP, trouble continues to brew in the saffron camp. Former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi firing a fresh salvo at BJP state president B Y Vijayendra has made it apparent that rebellion within the party has not died completely and attempts are still on to have Vijayendra replaced. 

Ramesh, one the 17 MLAs responsible for the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in 2019, argued for the formation of a leadership group comprising 15 to 20 members so that the BJP could fight the elections collectively instead of being “beholden to a single family,” referring to former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and his sons. Ramesh added that his respect for the BJP veteran remained undiminished.

The former minister’s remarks brought home the distressing fact that the group of dissidents remains firm in its demand for replacing Vijayendra, and reducing the influence of the former CM’s family in party affairs.

Sources in the BJP admitted to the tussle within the party casting a pall on the saffron party’s membership drive, during which it aims to register 1.5 crore new members across the state. Not only has this conflict between two camps in the state BJP served to demotivate workers, it has also dampened the spirits of many local leaders, sources confirmed to DH.

A source close to Yediyurappa told DH that Ramesh Jarkiholi ought to have been more discerning in his choice of words while speaking about the former CM. “Speaking about Yediyurappa in the singular is not something that will be easily forgotten. Yediyurappa is still a member of the BJP Parliamentary Board. While Ramesh’s contribution to the BJP’s growth is zero, everyone knows that Yediyurappa’s contribution to the party is enormous,” the source added.

Vijayendra, meanwhile, reiterated that he had not sought to marginalise any senior leader in the party. “I reach out senior leaders of the party across the state, whenever I tour Karnataka. It is a not a one-time thing, but a continuous affair. I have made it a point to call on senior leaders whenever I am in their respective districts. For instance, I met Union Pralhad Joshi and Deputy Leader of Opposition Arvind Bellad when I was in Hubballi,” Vijayendra said.

The Karnataka BJP chief said that he welcomed Ramesh Jarkiholi’s remarks. “I have never tried to project myself as a leader; I am happy being a worker, in whom the central leadership has reposed faith and assigned the responsibility of leading the Karnataka BJP. But this is not the time for the party to fight over this; we should focus on ensuring the Congress is put on the backfoot over the many scams it is embroiled in,” he added.