“Yediyurappa will not be CM for long. Even those in high command are fed up with him. He is neglecting North Karnataka completely. Senior leaders in the BJP are tired of Yediyurappa.”
This statement by Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, that too on a public forum, came as a surprise to many. Even though the rift between the Yediyurappa faction and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the BJP is an open secret, it was not spoken about at public events.
As expected, Yediyurappa stayed quiet on the matter and the BJP state high command rejected the statement, though a day late. “Yediyurappa will continue as Chief Minister for the next three years. We will go to the next poll under his leadership,” said party State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is an RSS man.
But is this end of this episode? According to party insiders, despite the usual political statements and rejections, this is the first step towards a larger plan by the RSS. Key to this plan is the Lingayat community, which has been keeping BS Yediyurappa relevant in the BJP and in the chief minister’s chair.