BJP high command ignores efforts to unsettle BSY

The efforts by a few BJP leaders to unsettle Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa during the pandemic has not gone down well with the party high command.

Taking a serious note of such efforts when the State is gripped by the COVID-19 crisis, the BJP central leadership has chosen to ignore the issue.

“This is not the proper time for anyone to raise the issue of leadership change as people are suffering due to the pandemic. In fact such issues should not get prominence now,” a prominent central leader of the BJP told The Hindu.

He indicated that the leadership would not spend time on it. “There is no proposal before the high command to change the Chief Minister for now”.

It may be noted that C.P. Yogeshwar , Minister, and Arvind Bellad, MLA, were camping in New Delhi apparently to meet the party high command on the issue of leadership change, while a few more MLAs were expected to join them. However, they had to return to the State as the leadership did not show any interest in holding consultations with them.

Meanwhile, a section of the party old-timers too were upset with Mr. Yediyurappa’s style of functioning. They were demanding convening of a legislature party meeting in the presence of party’s central observers. However, they have not yet formally submitted a representation in this regard to anyone. Also, they have not set any timeframe for holding such a meeting considering the fact that lockdown has been enforced in the State.

Safe only for now?

However, it appears that Mr. Yediyurappa is safe only for now as there is no clarity on what will happen after the State comes out of the COVID grip.

The high command’s stand is being interpreted in political circles in different ways. Some State unit senior leaders feel that there is a possibility of the central leadership taking a fresh look at the issue, if need be, after normalcy returns to the State. But the Yediyurappa camp argues that the leadership may not venture into changing the Chief Minister if the COVID recovery prolongs as not much time will be left then for the next Assembly elections due in 2023.

But these developments have clearly indicated that though Mr. Yediyurappa is safe for now, the uncertainty may come back to haunt him after the State gets a respite from COVID-19.