As Karnataka polls draw near, BJP grapples with wave of factionalism in state now
Karnataka's political corridors are never boring. They are constantly witnessing one factional war or another. For nearly three years after winning the Karnataka Assembly election
Karnataka's political corridors are never boring. They are constantly witnessing one factional war or another. For nearly three years after winning the Karnataka Assembly election in 2023, it was the Congress that remained consumed by an unending debate over leadership, with repeated tussles between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Today, as the Assembly elections inch closer with less than two years remaining, it's the BJP that has been hit by a new wave of factionalism. Read Full Story While the Congress has largely managed to contain its internal rivalries and project a united front, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself battling cross-voting, leadership crisis, rebellion, and open attacks among its leaders. What began as murmurs against the state leadership has now snowballed into one controversy after another, exposing deep cracks within the Karnataka BJP at a time when the party is gearing up for the 2028 Assembly election. Karnataka is crucial for the BJP as it is considered the party's gateway to southern India. It remains the only southern state where the saffron party has demonstrated the ability to form a government on its own. 'KICK HIM OUT': E KARNATAKA CM's PURPORTED AUDIO CLIP ROCKS BJP The latest flashpoint came with the circulation of an audio clip purportedly featuring former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Monday (June 29). In the recording, Gowda is allegedly heard suggesting that BJP state president BY Vijayendra should be "kicked out" after completing three years as state president in November, arguing that delaying the move by a couple of months would avoid creating further confusion within the party. The audio, which is purportedly of Gowda, represents one of the strongest internal attacks on Vijayendra. However, Sadananda Gowda has categorically distanced himself from the clip, refusing to authenticate it and insisting that any investigation into its origin should be carried out independently.
Gowda also maintained that the party's internal matters should not be debated publicly and said he would respond only if approached by the BJP's national leadership. Even as the authenticity of the audio remains disputed, its timing could hardly have been more damaging for the BJP. CROSS-VOTING FIASCO THAT EXPOSED KARNATAKA BJP'S INTERNAL RIFT The Karnataka BJP is still struggling to recover from the embarrassment of the recent Legislative Council (MLC) elections held on June 18, where as many as 11 BJP and its ally Janata Dal (Secular) party legislators reportedly cross-voted in favour of the Congress, while another BJP MLA cast an invalid vote. Although the saffron party constituted a three-member fact-finding committee and received an interim report, no significant disciplinary action has yet been announced against those responsible. The cross-voting episode has fuelled speculation that dissatisfaction with the current state leadership runs much deeper than previously acknowledged. Since then, several leaders have openly questioned organisational decisions and expressed reservations about the leadership of state president Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka. The unease became visible when Vijayendra's proposal to hold the BJP legislature party meeting at the temple town Dharmasthala had to be shelved after resistance from senior leaders, including Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar, who publicly criticised the decision on social media. The cancellation was viewed as another indication that consensus within the party leadership is becoming increasingly difficult. SPAT BETWEEN KARNATAKA BJP LEADERS AMID INFIGHTING Another bitter confrontation unfolded between Sadananda Gowda and senior BJP MLA SR Vishwanath on Tuesday (June 30). Addressing reporters, the former Chief Minister launched an unprecedented attack on Vishwanath, accusing him of acquiring wealth with the patronage of late underworld figure Muthappa Rai, grabbing land and damaging the legacy of Bengaluru's founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
The BriefWire