The appointment of B.Y. Vijayendra, MLA, as the BJP’s State president is expected to offer a stiff challenge to the Congress, which is eyeing to win 20 seats in the general elections next year, especially in a context where Karnataka voters have a tendency to vote for different political parties in the Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary elections.
The new president, belonging to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, is expected to provide a much-needed morale booster to the BJP cadre, particularly the youth. The dominant community, which felt sidelined after veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa was asked to step down from the top post, is expected to rally behind his son. The community is said to be jittery over the issue of caste census and perceived denial of prominent executive posts to community officials in the Congress government.
The 48-year-old Vijayendra is credited with organisational skills and the party leaders acknowledge his abilities which helped the party to open its account in the bypolls in K.R. Pet of Mandya, Sira in Tumakuru and Basavakalyana in Bidar during the previous BJP regime. As the appointment came from the party’s high command, the leaders aspiring to become the State unit chief are likely to fall in line.
His age, ability to mobilise financial resources, and the father’s backing is expected to provide him much needed cushion to take on the Congress, which is grappling with factionalism.
A Congress functionary told The Hindu that the Lingayat community is expected to consolidate behind Mr. Vijayendra. The party had kept its vote percentage intact (36%) in the Assembly polls and an increase in a few percent of votes would help the BJP to secure a good number of seats, if not 25.
Different narrative
However, narratives of the 2024 poll pitch would be totally different. The BJP is expected to be defensive and not offensive during the run-up to the polls. The saffron party is unlikely to flag issues such as corruption, nepotism and dynasty, which were the major poll plank of Mr. Modi against the Congress in 2019.
A Lingayat leader said Mr. Vijayendra’s success depended on his ability to exploit the political tussle for the Chief Minister’s post between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, disappointment among the Congress workers over the delay in the appointment of heads to boards and corporations, “appeasement” towards minority communities and exposure of alleged corruption.
But the question is whether political greenhorn Vijayendra has the wherewithal to retain if not improve over 25 out 28 seats the BJP had won in 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity was unbeatable. The question on everyone’s mind is will the new president stop the Congress juggernaut in Karnataka and help Mr. Modi to achieve a hattrick by winning 2024 polls.
P.S. Jayaramu, retired professor of political science, observes that Mr. Vijayendra has everything at his disposal such as money, cadre and caste. “It is a message to Mr. Vijayendra that if he does not deliver in the Lok Sabha polls, say at least 20 seats, he may be shown the door. Even Mr. Yediyurappa is, in a way, put on notice in the process.”
Strengths of Congress
Now, the political scenario is different compared to 2019. The BJP performed poorly in the Assembly polls with just 66 seats while the Congress formed the government with 135 seats.
The more daunting task before Mr. Vijayendra is the popularity of the guarantee schemes implemented by the Congress government under Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is popular among backward classes, and Mr. Shivakuamar, who has a sizable following in the Vokkaliga community.
A political observer said Mr. Vijayendra’s maturity will be tested as he has to fight a long battle before the next Assembly polls. His ties with JD (S) and BJP senior leaders as well as the RSS are expected to come under scrutiny.
