BJP to hold 3 meetings on January 21 amid infighting

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, January 21, 2025: The feud-hit BJP has convened an all-hands meeting on Tuesday where infighting and election for the Karnataka party president’s post will be discussed.

With the sections headed by BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and his bitter critic Basanagouda Patil Yatnal continuing to wash dirty linen in public, a showdown is expected in the form of a potential intra-party presidential election.

While Vijayendra has exuded confidence of remaining in the top post, Yatnal’s camp is keen to dislodge him by contesting in the presidential election.

"Our team is ready for the election and will put our candidates. Let the high command mediate," Yatnal to reporters in Hubballi.

When asked whether he or Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi (another critic of Vijayendra) would be the presidential candidate, Yatnal claimed that even they had a "core committee" where they would decide the candidate.

On Tuesday, a meeting of all lawmakers of the saffron party to assess the goings-on will be held in the presence of central leaders like National General Secretary and party in-charge for Karnataka Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, Pon Radhakrishnan and Sudhakar Reddy.

This will be followed by a separate meeting to discuss organisational elections at 4 pm. Later in the evening, the state BJP’s core committee is scheduled to meet.

The BJP has already embarked on internal elections in the state. All BJP state units across the country will elect new state committees before the national-level elections scheduled for February. Historically, BJP office-bearers have mostly been unanimously elected and seldom through electoral contests.

’Let him go to Delhi or Washington’

Continuing his tirade against Vijayendra, Yatnal said: "Let them go to Delhi or even Washington or wherever they want. Truth is truth. He says he will stop Ramesh Jarkiholi from walking on the streets. Is he doing goondaism?"

In a veiled reference to former minister M P Renukacharya – a known loyalist of Yediyurappa and now Vijayendra – the Bijapur City MLA said: "Don’t you (media) find anyone else to defend Vijayendra? After speaking to me, you will directly go to Davangere. If you want, you can take his father’s (B S Yediyurappa) statement."

While Vijayendra refused to comment against allegations levelled at him by the Yatnal faction, he noted that both he and the party high command were keen on ending this factional feud.