Dissidence breaks out in Karnataka BJP after Yediyurappa gets new cabinet

Twenty-five days after he was sworn in as Chief Minister for a fourth time, BS Yediyurappa got to finally induct 17 cabinet colleagues. While the party high command seems to have deliberately left 16 slots empty to contain any possible dissidence and retain the elbow room to reward some of the 17 ‘rebel’ MLAs of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) – whose membership has been terminated by the Speaker – there was a frissom of unhappiness immediately after the swearing-in. Several senior party leaders such as Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, Balachandra Jharkiholi, Renukacharya and Basvraj Patil Yatnal did not even come to the swearing in of their own party’s new cabinet.

One of the ministerial aspirants GH Thippa Reddy, a four-time BJP MLA from Chitradurga expressed his ‘surprise and pain’ at the list of ministers. Reddy also said like minded legislators would meet over the next few days to consider their course of action including bringing to the party High Command’s notice that ‘loyal and senior’ party legislators having been left out of the ministry.

Protests also broke out in Chitradruga by Reddy’s supporters who shouted slogans demanding ‘justice’ from the party high command even as traffic was partially disrupted at the Gandhi Circle in the city by the supporters burning tyres.

Another BJP legislator of Sullia, S Angara, a six-term MLA also hit out saying that his constituents were unhappy that he was denied the chance of becoming a minister. “I have practised ethics and values in public life. It is unfortunate that those values are being ignored,” he said.

 Umesh Katti is also a eight-time legislator while Basvraj Patil Yatnal is a former union minister. Their absence from the swearing in apart from those of other senior leaders is also likely to impact the government in the future. Other BJP leaders, off the record, also complained of lack of representation to coastal Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka regions of the state apart from certain castes not being given any ministership.

First Published: Aug 20, 2019 12:23 IST