Rebellion in BJP may hurt party’s prospects in some Karnataka constituencies
Growing rebellion in BJP is threatening to hurt its poll prospects in some constituencies where it is already battling strong anti-incumbency. The saffron party is fighting rebellion in some 20-30 of the 212 assembly seats for which it has announced candidates.
However, party sources say rebels may dent their prospects in only 7-8 seats — which is still crucial since BJP has never managed a simple majority (113 seats). BJP had burnt its fingers in Himachal Pradesh, where rebels contested 21 of the total 68 seats in assembly elections in November last year.
While it’s not uncommon for aspirants to sulk and protest when denied tickets, it’s probably the first time that Karnataka BJP is facing such large-scale revolt.
The party has denied tickets to 18 incumbent MLAs, besides two MLCs and over a dozen former MLAs who were eyeing tickets. Prominent among them are Laxman Savadi (Athani), KS Eshwarappa (Shivamogga), MP Kumaraswamy (Mudigere), SA Ravindranath (Davanagere North), R Shankar (Ranebenneur), and Nehru Olekar (Haveri).
While Eshwarappa’s son may land a ticket, most of others have now threatened to switch to opposition parties or run as independents. Many are also upset because the party has accommodated almost all MLAs who switched in 2019 from Congress and JD(S) at the expense of the ‘old guard’.
Whether Congress and JD(S) cash in on a possible split in votes remains to be seen, but the impact is being felt. Some rebels are openly expressing their angst against the party leadership, especially chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and ridiculing him as the next “Prime Ministerial candidate”.
While many functionaries admit that new faces should replace veterans, the way seniors have been treated is what is rankling. One senior leader said there appeared to be “no proper planning” going by the way the leadership handled the situation, especially seniors like Jagadish Shettar, Savadi, Eshwarappa, or even BS Yediyurappa. “The party could have spoken to senior MLAs three or four months in advance instead of at the last minute,” a senior said. “Most of them had toiled in their segments, certain that they would get a ticket.”
Bommai and Yediyurappa, who have been tasked with quelling the rebellion, put on a brave face. They claimed the initial dissidence will die down by the time nominations end. Others shrugged off the possibility of rebels denting prospects of candidates, saying “their numbers are a sign of the BJP’s popularity”.
“There will always be a fight for tickets in a party like BJP, which will definitely form the government,” they said. “In BJP, organisation, cadres, people, and their aspirations are more important than candidates. There may be some loss of votes, but our official candidates will win.”
