BJP likely to name Shobha Karandlaje as Karnataka party president

mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, Oct 23, 2023: Almost 5 months after facing a striking defeat in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to appoint Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje as the party president soon, sources said. Karandjale, a Vokkaliga, is the top contender for the post as the party is now trying to tread tactfully in the state.

 

The other contenders in the fray with Karandjale are CT Ravi and the party’s state vice-president Vijayendra Yediyurappa. Former chief minister of Karnataka, BS Yediyurappa, is pushing for his son to be nominated for the position, though the party is focusing on using the caste dynamics to their advantage, said the sources.

The politically powerful Vokkaligas are largely concentrated in the southern or Old Mysuru region of the state. Old Mysuru is the biggest region of Karnataka with 51 Assembly seats. The BJP hasn’t performed well here as compared to other regions of the state.

Karandlaje, a member of the Vokkaliga community, is a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament representing the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. Her appointment will serve as a strategic move for the BJP to strengthen support among the Vokkaliga community in the Old Mysuru region.

The BJP also recently declared its alliance with the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This partnership is particularly significant in Southern Karnataka, where the Vokkaligas constitute a substantial portion of the population, enhancing the BJP’s voter base in the area.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is currently serving as the president of the state unit, was given an extension after his tenure ended last year. He was supposed to remain in his position until the Assembly elections are over. However, after the party’s defeat in the state, it has not named a replacement yet.

Courtesy: India Today