Internal conflicts in BJP to be quelled soon: Vijayendra

State party president BY Vijayendra on Wednesday expressed confidence that all internal conflicts with the BJP, including those with veteran leader KS Eshwarappa, would be resolved soon.

“I cannot take all the decisions of the party and Party High Command's decision is final. Party High command doesn't take all decisions based on my suggestions. Party High command knows everything. Everyone will work together towards PM Narendra Modi’s leadership,” he said, speaking to the media after performing a pooja at the Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru.

Former Karnataka deputy chief minister Eshwarappa, who was sorely disappointed when his son was denied a ticket, accused BS Yediyurappa of his “family politics” recently. “Yediyurappa’s elder son Raghavendra is an MP from Shimoga and the younger son [BY Vijayendra] is an MLA from Shikaripura,” he said. Eshwarappa will be contesting as an independent candidate from Shimoga constituency.


With the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state a month away, the saffron party has been grappling with internal rebellion over the high command's candidate choices. Some of the leaders have threatened to follow Eshwarappa’s example and fight the elections as independent candidates.

Tensions had ensued in Chikkaballapur after the saffron party fielded former minister K Sudhakar. MLA SR Vishwanath had been angling for a ticket for his son Alok from the constituency. BJP party workers held protests in Yelahanka on Monday, holding signs that read “go back Sudhakar. Modi once again.”

BJP leader JC Madhuswamy had opposed the candidature of another former minister V Somanna from Tumkur. In Bidar, BJP MLAs Prabhu Chauhan and Sharanu Salgar are protesting Union minister Bhagwanth Khuba being given a ticket.

Davangere party workers, led by former MLAs MP Renukacharya and SA Ravindranath, had protested when the BJP fielded Gayatri Siddeshwar in place of her husband and sitting MP GM Siddeshwara. Party workers had also opposed former CM Jagadish Shettar being fielded from Belagavi, protesting with signs that read “go back Shettar.”

Senior BJP leaders are all hands on deck, trying to quell the conflicts threatening the party’s prospects. Yediyurappa, who is part of the BJP’s parliamentary board has been travelling to the troubled constituencies in an attempt to smooth things over with the disgruntled leaders. “Our farmer leader Yediyurappa has visited Davangere and Belgaum and solved the problems there,” assured Vijayendra.