BJP keeps suspense over LoP in Karnataka Assembly; Hindutva face emerges dark horse

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, June 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to elect its legislative party leader in Karnataka, setting off intense speculations within the state unit of the party. Karnataka Assembly session is likely to be called in the next few weeks to take up the full state Budget.

While the BJP had not declared its chief ministerial face for the May 10 Karnataka election, Basavaraj Bommai being an incumbent chief minister was the leading campaigner of the saffron outfit in the state. The BJP legislative party meeting in Karnataka is likely to be called ahead of the Assembly session to elect the leader who will be the leader of the Opposition.

Bommai in the normal course, reckons party leader, should be the natural choice for the position of the legislative party leader. But the BJP top brass is learnt to be weighing options in the backdrop of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal, the BJP MLA from Bijapur city constituency, has emerged as the dark horse in the race to become the leader of the legislative party of the saffron outfit. Yatnal is a saffron poster boy of the BJP. He has been regularly hitting the headlines by making polarizing statements.

“Yatnal is a Hindutva face of the BJP. He is also widely known in North Karnataka. He also hails from the Lingayata community. The BJP top brass is taking a close look at him to elevate him to the position of the leader of the legislative party in the Karnataka Assembly,” said a senior BJP functionary.

The BJP’s core catchment caste constituency happens to be Lingayata in Karnataka. But the Congress made deep inroads in the Lingayata community in the Assembly election. The saffron outfit’s top caste leader BS Yediyurappa reportedly had stayed away from campaigning in a few constituencies, which cost the party dearly in the polls.

“Bommai may get the nod to lead the party in the Assembly if the party decides to bank on him for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on the ground that he has the stature of being a former chief minister. The issue of the leader of the Opposition (LoP) will be decided along with the change in the state chief of the party. By end of this month a decision is expected,” added the BJP functionary.

Bommai was backed by the top brass of the BJP in the run up to the Assembly elections. But the BJP had changed tack in the last leg of the campaigning to bank on the Hindutva agenda.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save

About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

See author's posts