BJP gen sec hints at announcing party's Karnataka chief soon

The BJP may announce its new state President in Karnataka soon, amid speculation over incumbent B Y Vijayendra's potential second term.

BJP General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agrawal on Thursday indicated that the party may announce its state President soon, amid speculations about incumbent B Y Vijayendra getting a second term.

Targeting the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, which he called ''corrupt and weak,'' the BJP leader claimed that many of its legislators are in touch with the saffron party.

Agarwal was speaking to reporters after a party leaders' meeting here involving its National Joint General Secretary (organisation) Shivprakash, National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda, Vijayendra, Leaders of Opposition in Assembly and Council R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and other senior state leaders.

''We have a President in the state, and he is working. Whether he will remain the President or not is not decided at the meeting here, so it is an illusion that the national leaders have come here to evaluate the performance of the President. In our party evaluation is a continuous process, and the national leadership is aware of all developments in the party,'' Agrawal said.

He said, ''It is a matter of time, and slowly we are approaching the announcement of our president once again.''.

Noting that a new team is naturally formed whenever the president is announced, he further said that if the party is satisfied with the work of the people in the old team, they may continue; otherwise, they will change.

The party has a national principle on the formation of the core committee, and it has nothing to do with the change of the party president, he added.

There was speculation that Vijayendra's future as the party's Karnataka president might be discussed at the meeting on Thursday.

Not willing to answer a question about whether Vijayendra will be made president once again, the BJP General Secretary said the president's post was not for a tenure of three years. The party believes in the principle that a president can be given a maximum of two terms.

''The party will decide... The current president is a full-fledged and powerful president. Whether he becomes president again after the announcement or someone else does, the party president's power will never diminish. We fought the Lok Sabha polls under the current president,'' he said.

Vijayendra, the son of veteran leader and former CM B S Yediyurappa, was appointed as the Karnataka BJP president in November 2023.

The appointment of a first-time MLA as the BJP state president had caused resentment within the party. A faction of leaders within the party has been mounting pressure on the top brass to replace him, claiming that the party has been in the clutches of the father and son.

Terming the Congress government in Karnataka a ''failure,'' Agrawal said the meeting was to highlight to the people the government's failures, the deep-rooted corruption in its administration and on how it has become dysfunctional for the last six-seven months due to an internal power struggle.

''It is a corrupt government, a government based on appeasement. It has deceived the people of Karnataka, even the guarantee schemes have not been fulfilled, and because of the guarantees and the loans they have taken from outside the government is in a financial crisis,'' he said.

Speaking on the power struggle in the Congress government over the chief minister post, the BJP General Secretary said that their President, Mallikarjun Kharge, sitting in Delhi, is ensuring a ''cat fight'' between CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.

At the age of 84, Kharge is waiting for them to fight so he can become the CM. He further said, ''There are not just two faces for the CM post in Karnataka, the real face is sitting in Delhi.''.

''The situation of the Congress in Karnataka is very poor; many Congress legislators are in touch with us,'' he said. People have already decided on the 2028 Assembly polls, and people are ready to get rid of Congress and form a BJP government in the state, even if the polls are held tomorrow.

Stating that the party has prepared a list of probable candidates for the upcoming MLC polls and things will be cleared in the days ahead, Agrawal in response to a question about whether JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda will be sent to Rajya Sabha once again, said, ''it is a matter of alliance and such subjects are decided at the national unit and national president level, not the state unit.''.

He also mentioned that the BJP is constantly in touch with JD(S) leadership, including Deve Gowda and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.