How the Karnataka BJP feud escalated over Waqf row as RSS peace efforts hit a dead end

Last Friday, Yatnal, a vocal professional of Vijayendra and his begetter and BJP parliamentary committee subordinate B S Yediyurappa, addressed a quality league astatine the residence of erstwhile curate Madhu Bangarappa on with erstwhile ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Arvind Limbavali. He announced they would clasp a statewide run crossed Karnataka against the alleged harassment of farmers by the Waqf Board. The month-long run would statesman connected November 25, they added.

Hours later, Vijayendra issued a property merchandise connected the “Namma Bhoomi, Namma Hakku” run of the BJP, forming 3 teams tasked with touring 8 to 10 districts each to compile a study connected onshore that the Waqf Board has allegedly claimed. One squad is being led by Vijayendra himself, the 2nd 1 is being headed by the Leader of the Opposition successful the Assembly R Ashok, and the 3rd by the Leader of the Opposition successful the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.

While Yatnal was named a subordinate of the 2nd team, Jarkiholi and Limbavali were included successful teams 1 and three, respectively. Apart from territory visits, protests successful beforehand of the Deputy Commissioner’s offices connected November 21 oregon 22 and a monolithic protestation during the Winter Session of the legislature successful Belagavi are besides portion of the campaign.

Asked whether his workfellow announcing a run earlier him embarrassed the authorities unit, Vijayendra said determination was nary origin to beryllium ashamed. “Anyone warring for the origin of farmers is invited to bash so,” helium said, refusing to remark further connected the issue.

A time later, Yatnal took a excavation astatine the authorities unit’s teams alleging that Vijayendra made the announcement due to the fact that his campy made the archetypal move. The BJP president, helium said, was not acrophobic astir immoderate contented affecting the state. “His interest is however to beryllium CM adjacent and loot similar his father,” Yatnal told reporters successful Hubballi.

The authorities BJP leadership, however, refused to work overmuch into Yatnal’s announcement. BJP wide caput Preetham Gowda told reporters connected Saturday that Yatnal would beryllium portion of the authorities BJP campaign. Sources successful the enactment said the run was being planned since the contention surfaced successful the 2nd fractional of October. “There were aggregate meetings held implicit the issue. However, the announcement was delayed keeping the bypolls successful mind,” said a BJP insider.

By bypassing Vijayendra and Ashok, Yatnal is making definite helium gets the recognition for the anti-Waqf campaign, the root said, noting that the MLA had staged an indefinite accelerated successful Vijayapura that was called disconnected aft the sojourn of Jagdambika Pal, the president of the Joint Committee of Parliament connected the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

This is neither the archetypal clip the Sangh has attempted to measurement successful to guarantee bid successful Karnataka BJP successful caller months nor the archetypal clip Yatnal has targeted the authorities BJP leadership. In September, BJP wide caput (organisation) B L Santhosh and RSS person Mukunda held a gathering to guarantee a truce betwixt the warring groups. At the time, elder person Ramesh Jarkiholi voiced concerns astir Vijayendra continuing arsenic the authorities enactment president and called connected 15-20 elder leaders to tally the enactment unit.

Yatnal has consistently trained guns connected Yediyurappa successful the past fewer years. After Vijayendra was appointed the authorities BJP main past year, Yatnal accused the erstwhile CM of blackmailing the precocious bid to unafraid the station for his son. Last year, successful the archetypal gathering of the revamped Karnataka BJP squad constituted by Vijayendra, the enactment enactment decided to attack enactment nationalist president J P Nadda for enactment against Yatnal, saying enactment against him was agelong overdue. Some of the office-bearers wondered astatine the clip “whether Yatnal was issuing statements to harm the enactment deliberately”, flagging his remark alleging irregularities worthy Rs 40,000 crore successful the Covid-related procurement during Yediyurappa’s tenure arsenic CM.

In August, Yatnal and his supporters stayed distant from the BJP-JD(S) coalition’s padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru seeking enactment against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah successful the alleged MUDA scam case. They announced different padayatra from Kudala Sangama to Ballari successful protestation against the alleged scam successful the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation but it did not get the enactment precocious command’s nod.