New Delhi/Bengaluru, November 10 (Language) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday criticized former Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra Yediyurappa was appointed the chief of the party’s state unit.
Through this, BJP has given a clear message to the party workers to hand over leadership to the young generation.
Vijayendra’s surprise appointment underlines the party leadership’s acknowledgment of the influence of veteran Lingayat leader Yediyurappa on the people. Vijayendra, who is currently the vice-president of BJP’s Karnataka unit, is Yediyurappa’s younger son and is a first-time MLA elected from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district.
MLA Vijayendra, who replaced Nalin Kumar Kateel, is considered a skilled organizational leader. Kateel belongs to the OBC (Other Backward Class) community.
With the appointment of Vijayendra (47), seen as Yediyurappa’s political successor, the speculations that had been going on for several months came to an end.
A senior BJP leader said, “This appointment is surprising in a way, but also not… However, I am hopeful that this will give impetus to the party’s activities and there will be no void at the top level.”
Earlier the names of Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje and former National General Secretary of BJP CT Ravi were in discussion for this post.
Yediyurappa is also a member of the Parliamentary Board, the top organizational unit of the BJP.
His elder son B. Y. Raghavendra is a Lok Sabha member and the BJP has often tried to ensure that the party is not seen encouraging more than one member of a family into politics.
The party is now expected to appoint the leader of opposition in the state assembly. This post is likely to be given to a non-Lingayat MLA. Thus, Lingayat leader Basavaraj Bommai, who replaced Yediyurappa as chief minister in July 2021, will be dismissed.
Sources said that Bommai may contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In the assembly elections held in May, BJP had to face a crushing defeat at the hands of Congress. Since then it was expected that there would be a change in the state leadership of the party.
There was a strong possibility that the BJP would appoint a Lingayat leader as the head of its state unit, but ignoring the issue of nepotism, the party has appointed a first-time MLA to the post.
BJP has often targeted other parties on the issue of nepotism, but this appointment has underlined the political importance of Yediyurappa that despite being out of electoral politics, his influence continues.
Language Subhash Suresh
Suresh
