C T Ravi dropped from BJP national panel amid buzz he is pick for new Karnataka chief

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, July 30, 2023: The omission of Karnataka BJP leader C T Ravi from the list of new BJP general secretaries has fuelled speculation that Ravi could be in line to be the president of the Karnataka unit of the BJP when the term of the incumbent Nalin Kumar Kateel ends in August.

BJP national president J P Nadda announced a new list of BJP national office-bearers Saturday, including vice-presidents and general secretaries. The list did not feature Ravi, who was a national general secretary.

A former MLA from the Chikamagalur region of Karnataka, Ravi lost in the recent Assembly polls – the BJP, in fact, did not win any of the five seats in the district.

Seen as close to BJP national general secretary (organisation), Ravi has been talked about as the most likely name for the party’s new Karnataka president, despite a section being opposed to his candidature. Kateel is currently on a one-year extension of his term.

Among those likely to oppose his name is former BJP chief minister and Lingayat leader B S Yediyurappa, who is a member of the BJP parliamentary board. The run-up to the Assembly elections had been marked by a constant tussle between Ravi and Yeddiyurappa, and after his poll loss, Ravi had publicly blamed party insiders for “colluding” with the Opposition.

Though his organisational skills make Ravi a leader who will play a role in the party’s future in Karnataka, his major drawback is that he does not enjoy the support of any caste group, unlike a mass Lingayat leader like Yediyurappa. He is also considered to have very limited influence over his own Vokkaliga community in the real Vokkaliga belt in Karnataka.