Key posts vacant, top leaders ‘slighted’ during PM visit, BJP fends off rumours of MLAs making a beeline to Cong in Karnataka

“Look at the situation that has befallen the BJP. The party’s leaders, Samrats and Chakravarthis, are relegated to the streets. The BJP high command and Modi are not entertaining them in any way, after the humiliating loss in the state polls. These pictures are evidence. The state leaders must have some self respect,” the Congress posted on social media on Saturday, along with images of BJP leaders standing at the airport.

The state BJP is allegedly facing the wrath of the party high command over the BJP’s poor show in the May Assembly polls. Organisational appointments — including of a new party president and a Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly — continue to be delayed, leaving the BJP state unit open to Congress criticism of being a “rudderless ship”.

Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Congress, which hopes to win up to 20 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in the 2024 parliamentary polls — the BJP won 25 of the 28 seats in 2019 — is using the hiatus in the state BJP to shore up its own base for the Lok Sabha polls, by attracting disgruntled first, second and third rung BJP leaders to its fold.

Although Congress leaders are officially tightlipped about any formal policy to this effect, former BJP CM Basavaraj Bommai, who is an aspirant for the LoP position, lent credence to the rumour by accusing the Congress of trying to woo BJP leaders into its fold out of a fear that they are going to perform poorly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “The Congress is scared. Lok Sabha poll predictions suggest it won’t get many seats. They know if the party doesn’t win big, there will be an effect on the state government, hence they are carrying out ‘Operation Hasta’,” Bommai said last week.

The Congress, which is hoping to increase its vote share in the state along with the number of seats it wins at the Lok Sabha polls, has stopped just short of issuing an open invite to BJP leaders to migrate ahead of the 2024 polls. “We want to strengthen the party wherever it is weak. Lok Sabha polls are our priority, and local leaders have been asked to take decisions based on local needs. They have to take everyone into confidence to increase the party’s vote share,” said state Congress president and Deputy CM Shivakumar recently, when asked about the party reaching out to BJP and JD(S) leaders.

Several BJP leaders have reportedly met Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in this regard. Potential BJP turncoats are said to be Bengaluru MLAs S T Somashekar and Byrathi Basavaraju — who defected from the Congress in 2019 and joined the BJP to overthrow a Congress-JD(S) government in the state. Both MLAs are considered to have a close association with Siddaramaiah from their days in the Congress.

The two MLAs who are also considered close to former BJP CM and BJP national executive member, B S Yediyurappa were conspicuous by their absence from a BJP meeting called by the Lingayat strongman at his residence 10 days ago, to discuss the situation in the state BJP. Earlier, Somashekar had met Yediyurappa before going to meet Siddaramaiah and speaking favourably about Shivakumar.

After the meeting, Yediyurappa said: “No one is going to leave the BJP. Everyone is united. One or two leaders are worried over some issues. I will call them and personally speak to them.”

Yet, over the last couple of days, some more leaders who are considered to be very close to Yediyurappa, have shown an inclination to switch over to the Congress. M P Renukacharya, the former BJP MLA from Honnali in Davangere, met the CM and Deputy CM last week, triggering speculation of him leaving the BJP.

Although Renukacharya initially claimed he had gone to these meetings to seek funds for his region, he also mentioned that he hopes to contest the Lok Sabha polls from central Karnataka, giving strong hints that if he doesn’t get a ticket from the BJP, he is open to other offers. Another former minister and current BJP MLA, Shivaram Hebbar — who switched from the Congress in 2019 — has also indicated he wants to switch.

Incidentally, a member of the JD(S) from Shivamogga, Ayannur Manjunath, who is also considered close to Yediyurappa, joined the Congress last week. A former BJP MLA and MP from Shivamogga, Manjunath had contested the 2023 Assembly polls on a JD(S) ticket after being denied one by the BJP. He joined the Congress in the company of his supporters.

There is speculation that the move by many people from the Yediyurappa camp to the Congress is part of efforts to put pressure on the BJP central leadership to carry out a leadership revamp at the earliest that favours the Yediyurappa camp, if it wants to ensure a good showing in next year’s parliamentary polls.

It is believed that one of the root causes of the BJP’s loss in the state Assembly polls was factionalism in its state unit — with one faction allied to Yediyurappa, the other to BJP national organisation secretary B L Santhosh. “People respect Yediyurappa as much as PM Modi. But the BJP’s politics in the state is controlled by someone else. This will have an effect on the rudderless party’s results in the Lok Sabha polls,” said Renukacharya, amid speculation of him joining the Congress.

But sources familiar with the BJP said the party’s central leadership is exasperated of dealing with Yediyurappa — seen as having been forced into political retirement — and is looking at fresh faces to lead the party in Karnataka.