Bengaluru: The Karnataka political potboiler is back after a two-year lull. And the big question is, will the state see a third Chief Minister in a span of three years? It has become a precedence of sorts whenever the electorate has thrown a fractured a mandate. Remember the 2006 episode when the Dharam Singh government was brought down, and Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister in the twenty-20 tenure between the JDS and BJP for power sharing. That was the first time that the saffron party tasted power in Karnataka and back then, B.S. Yediyurappa was made the Deputy Chief Minister.
Cut to 2021. The all the more powerful Lingayat strongman, who managed to form government as 18 defectors switched sides, is today engaged in a subtle but obvious power tussle with the current top brass. Although age is the primary reason why he is being asked to vacate his chair, the political manoeuvring one is getting to see in the last five days makes one wonder if he still has in him another year or two to tide over such situations. For the last six months, over half a dozen state BJP leaders have been throwing barbs at BSY, albeit with the blessings of central leaders; why else would there be no action against them in the so-called most disciplined political party of the country?
The writing on the wall was clear that BSY would have to hang his boots, but the two big questions were always elusive of answers: when and who his successor would be. While the when has become now but the who is still a mystery, which is now feeding the rumour mills. “Perhaps this indecisiveness of the top five—Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J.P. Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari—is giving the elbow room to BSY who is gently engaging in a power game to remain in the chair,” sources close to the developments told The Sunday Guardian.
When Yediyurappa came to Delhi last, it was conveyed to him to make way. A disappointed BSY put up a brave face in the national capital and rubbished his resignation news. There was change in his tone when he landed in Bengaluru last Sunday and made statements that set off media on a wild goose chase. Reams and reams have been written since then. BSY, who said he would call for a legislative party meeting on 26 July, the day he completes two years in office, and the dinner date with his staff on the eve were clear indicators of his resignation.
A day later, there was a flurry of Lingayat leaders and seers making a beeline to his official residence Kaveri, which made him change his heart. BSY cancelled the legislature party meeting and the dinner date. He made it amply clear that he was awaiting a phone call on 25 July from the Delhi leaders and once he gets clarity over phone, he will take a final call. He also said he won’t suggest anybody’s name for the top job even if he was asked by the high command. He put the ball in the party top brass’ court and retreated into meeting the muth seers who largely have a hold on 17% vote share, largest in Karnataka.
According to insiders in Delhi, BSY is playing hardball and the parliamentary committee which was supposed to meet on Friday to propose a name was put off with a message from PMO that the meeting would happen only after Yediyurappa’s resignation to save the party from any embarrassment. “On Friday, BSY’s younger son B.Y. Vijayendra was summoned to Delhi to check on muth politics which is turning out to be bad optics for the party. He is expected to return late on Saturday with clear messages. However, Sunday’s confluence of over 350 seers at Palace Grounds will set the tone for further developments,” sources in the CMO said. Those in the know of things say that BSY is hoping for a phone call to come from Delhi asking him to continue, else he will have to release the booklet on his two achievements, ring the Raj Bhavan asking for time and resign.
