Rebellion against Yediyurappa puts BJP in tight spot

On the Karnataka BJP’s dartboard, one person who seems to be the target for several disgruntled leaders is veteran BS Yediyurappa.

While a tirade of accusations has been launched by Vijayapura BJP MLA and former Union minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, other senior leaders like Sadanand Gowda, KS Eswarappa, and CT Ravi have also earlier trained their guns on the leader.

In his latest statement on Thursday, Yatnal alleged that “it is as if the BJP has been handed over to the Yediyurappa family on a platter”, putting the top leadership in a spot again.

The comment comes just 24 hours after Yatnal made serious corruption allegations to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore against Yediyurappa while managing the Covid-19 pandemic in Karnataka.

Speaking in Vijaypura on December 27, Yatnal claimed: “Do you know how many thousands of crores of rupees were looted due to irregularities during Covid-19? They have done everything possible (corruption)… did you know what rate Yediyurappa charged for a mask that costs Rs 45 each during Covid-19? The government priced it at Rs 485 for each mask… Let them serve me a notice, I will expose each of them.” Yatnal was also an aspirant for the state president’s post which was wrested away by BSY’s younger son, BY Vijayendra.

Another video featuring Yatnal, which cannot be independently verified by News18, was aired by local channels where the leader is allegedly heard saying that Yediyurappa blackmailed the party high command that he will not tour the state for the Lok Sabha elections unless they make his son the Karnataka BJP chief.

“It is no surprise to me that Vijayendra had funded candidates against me, but you won’t believe that he even funded candidates who contested against Bommai, and even Somanna who would have comfortably won the Govindarajnagar seat. Who do you think misled Hema and got him defeated?” Yatnal was heard saying in the video in another jibe targeting BSY.

Close on the heels of Yatnal’s series of comments, another veiled attack came from an ex-confidante and an unhappy former Union minister, DV Sadananda Gowda. His recent statement that “a dictatorial attitude has crept inside BJP” is seen as one directly pointing a finger at BSY.

“We all know what happened to a dictator like Indira Gandhi and how it caused the decline of Congress. We should try and get out of this dictatorial attitude and take decisions after consulting everybody,” Gowda said, adding that he would raise the issue in the upcoming core committee meeting of the BJP.