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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka has convened a crucial meeting on Sunday to elect their floor leader, with hopes of reaching a long-awaited consensus on the Leader of the Opposition, said leaders in know of the development on Saturday.
The decision comes months after the party’s heavy defeat in the Karnataka assembly elections and internal conflicts that have led to disagreements, causing a delay in selecting a Leader of the Opposition, the leaders said.
On May 13, Congress won the Karnataka assembly elections by the biggest vote share and 135seats. The BJP government won only 66 seats.
And while the selection of the LoP is typically made immediately after the election results, disagreements within the BJP caused a delay in reaching a consensus, party leaders said.
Key figures, including state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel, Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh, and central Parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa, will attend the meeting.
According to the party insiders, several names are being considered for the LoP role, such as Basavaraj Bommai, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Ashwathnarayan, V Sunil Kumar, and R Ashok. Additionally, Shreenivas Pujari, Tejaswini Gowda, and Chaluvadi Narayan Swamy are potential candidates for the Legislative Council, the leaders added.
One of the leaders said that the BJP identified 11 leaders responsible for indiscipline within the party and aimed to address the issue and ensure party discipline during Sunday’s meeting.
In a meeting convened on Friday, senior leaders, including Yediyurappa, Bommai, Kateel, Pralhad Joshi, and CT Ravi, met with six such leaders to discuss the matter.
“The 11 leaders singled out by the party for indiscipline and controversial remarks are MP Renukacharya, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Murugesh Nirani, Prabhu Chauhan, Pratap Simha, Ramesh Jigajinagi, Dasarahalli Muniraju, AS Nadahalli, Charanthi Math, Thammesh Gowda, and Ishwar Singh Thakur,” said a leader close to the development.
“While show-cause notices were issued to the leaders, the party later changed its stance after some assured the leadership that they would work towards resolving the issues and improving the party’s unity,” the leader added.
The BJP’s move comes in response to the embarrassment caused by internal conflicts and mud-slinging among its leaders following the disappointing performance in the Assembly polls.
On June 13, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha said that some leaders of the BJP were involved in “adjustment politics” with a section of the Congress leaders.
Similarly, former minister Murugesh Nirani, on Wednesday, blamed Bijapur city legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for the party’s defeat in seven seats in the district during the assembly elections.F
Former MLA M P Renukacharya, who has been served a notice by the party for “anti-party” remarks, on Saturday said he will not fear such things and will write a letter to the national leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the defeat in the Assembly polls and those responsible for it.
Renukacharya had said on Thursday that the party’s state president Nalin Kumar Kateel should have resigned from the post, taking moral responsibility for the Assembly poll debacle.
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress in Karnataka has been implementing significant schemes such as free travel for women and free rice for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people and witnessing a surge in registrations for free electricity.
The BJP is eagerly waiting for an opportunity to gain momentum through the ongoing debate on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, which they see as a potential game-changer in Karnataka’s political landscape.
“The BJP cadre and leadership see the UCC as a potential game-changer in Karnataka’s political landscape,” said the leader.
However, the Congress remains optimistic, having shattered the belief in the “Modi myth” during the recent assembly elections, party leaders said.
A senior Congress leader pointed out that the Karnataka elections have demonstrated that relying solely on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is insufficient to secure victory.
“Concerns over hunger, unemployment, and divisive politics have resonated with the electorate. The Congress aims to win more than 20 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and has already initiated preparations at the district level,” said a senior Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) official.
