The curious case of Bookanakere Yeddyurappa
15 May 2012 6:11 AM GMT
B S Yeddyurappa's decision not to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has provided a brief relief to the party, but considering the past record of the former chief minister it won't be a surprise if Yeddyurappa threatens the party some time soon. Despite Yeddyurappa saying that he would not be leaving the party, he was adamant about the removal of chief minister Sadananada Gowda.
'Bowing to pressure of legislators and following an appeal by senior party leader Arun Jaitely, I have decided to keep in abeyance my decision to quit the party' said Yeddyurappa in Bangalore on Monday.
The Yeddyurappa problem has now snowballed for the BJP high command and the party does not seem to have a solution for this headache. Its a loss for the party in both the situation that is if Yeddyurappa stays within the party or if he moves out of the party.
Since the time Yeddyurappa resigned in July last year after the Karnataka Lokayukta indicted him in the illegal mining scams, the former chief minister has been persistent with his threats to the BJP leadership. There have been about five threats since the time Yeddyurappa resigned from his post.
In February this year, Yeddyurappa had set a deadline that he would rebel from the party, if he is not reinstated as the chief minister of the state or he is appointed as the party president of the state. Both his demands were turned down by the party and Yeddyurappa later said that he would continue to work for the party.
Yeddyuruppa decision to to stay in the party is actually harming the BJP as the party is divided the party into two camps, Yeddyurappa in fact said on Monday that he has the support of about 70 MLA's with him. His dissidence against the present chief minister Sadananda Gowda , the state party president K S Eswarappa and party general secretary H N Ananth Kumar is well known. Yeddyurappa in fact blamed the trio for the current crisis in the state.
The party is now divided on the caste lines with Lingayat MLA's supporting Yeddyurappa and Vokalliga MLA's aligning with Sadananda Gowda. With perceived Lingayat support behind Yeddyurappa it is one of the reasons why the BJP will suffer a dent in their vote bank if the former chief minister leaves BJP. It is estimated that there are about 17 per cent Lingayats in the state and Yeddyurappa who himself is a Lingayat is credited with bringing the community vote bank in the party.
During his tenure as the chief minister of the state Yeddyurappa had doled out huge grants to religious mutts as part of the state budget. Between 2008 and 2011 when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister of Karnataka he gave out government funds in excess of Rs 110 crores to temples and religious institutions. Lingayat mutts in particular were given funds over Rs 20 crore during his tenure as the chief minister.
The mutts play an important role in swaying the vote bank and recently Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur an important centre for the Lingayat community.
The corruption charges, the infighting within the party has dented BJP's image in the state and has also hurt the electoral prospects of the party.
'Bowing to pressure of legislators and following an appeal by senior party leader Arun Jaitely, I have decided to keep in abeyance my decision to quit the party' said Yeddyurappa in Bangalore on Monday.
The Yeddyurappa problem has now snowballed for the BJP high command and the party does not seem to have a solution for this headache. Its a loss for the party in both the situation that is if Yeddyurappa stays within the party or if he moves out of the party.
Since the time Yeddyurappa resigned in July last year after the Karnataka Lokayukta indicted him in the illegal mining scams, the former chief minister has been persistent with his threats to the BJP leadership. There have been about five threats since the time Yeddyurappa resigned from his post.
In February this year, Yeddyurappa had set a deadline that he would rebel from the party, if he is not reinstated as the chief minister of the state or he is appointed as the party president of the state. Both his demands were turned down by the party and Yeddyurappa later said that he would continue to work for the party.
Yeddyuruppa decision to to stay in the party is actually harming the BJP as the party is divided the party into two camps, Yeddyurappa in fact said on Monday that he has the support of about 70 MLA's with him. His dissidence against the present chief minister Sadananda Gowda , the state party president K S Eswarappa and party general secretary H N Ananth Kumar is well known. Yeddyurappa in fact blamed the trio for the current crisis in the state.
The party is now divided on the caste lines with Lingayat MLA's supporting Yeddyurappa and Vokalliga MLA's aligning with Sadananda Gowda. With perceived Lingayat support behind Yeddyurappa it is one of the reasons why the BJP will suffer a dent in their vote bank if the former chief minister leaves BJP. It is estimated that there are about 17 per cent Lingayats in the state and Yeddyurappa who himself is a Lingayat is credited with bringing the community vote bank in the party.
During his tenure as the chief minister of the state Yeddyurappa had doled out huge grants to religious mutts as part of the state budget. Between 2008 and 2011 when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister of Karnataka he gave out government funds in excess of Rs 110 crores to temples and religious institutions. Lingayat mutts in particular were given funds over Rs 20 crore during his tenure as the chief minister.
The mutts play an important role in swaying the vote bank and recently Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur an important centre for the Lingayat community.
The corruption charges, the infighting within the party has dented BJP's image in the state and has also hurt the electoral prospects of the party.
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