BENGALURU: A day after the BJP central leadership sprung a surprise by rewarding new faces over seniors in the Karnataka cabinet, the air of dissent within the party is only getting thicker. While those left out of the cabinet have made their anger and ire loud and clear, the ministers can not do much but fume in silence. While portfolio allocation and picks for the DyCM posts have irked members right from booth level workers to MPs, ministers and MLAs, the anger is simmering deep under the embers of loyalty towards the party.
“Everyone is aware that loyalty to the party is my biggest strength, as well as my biggest weakness,” tweeted Tourism minister T Ravi, capturing the mood in the BJP in a nutshell, where leaders believe that their loyalty to ideology and party is being misused to ‘overstep’ boundaries.Some leaders were not as subtle. “There should have not been any Deputy Chief Ministers at all. What was the need for three DyCMs? The central leadership should have done some thinking. If it was their decision, then it is absolutely wrong. Whatever is happening today is not right,” said Srinivas Prasad, party MP.
As if dissatisfaction over portfolio allocation was not enough, the appointment of first-time minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Laxman Savadi, as Deputy CMs, despite having lost the 2018 assembly election and being ousted as minister in the previous BJP government over a porngate scandal, has left many in the party red-faced.
“It was wrong to appoint him (Savadi), a former MLA, not just as minister but as Deputy CM. I will openly say it. There are many senior MLAs. I am a three-time MLA too, but there are MLAs who have won six or seven times. They deserved to be in the cabinet,” said an irate M S Somalingappa, MLA from Siraguppa.Their helplessness is adding to the frustration stemming out of a sense of bias by the central leadership, ministers in the cabinet believe.
‘Should focus on those affected by floods’
A minister requesting anonymity while making his anger clear, said, “Experience, service, loyalty and seniority need to be respected, irrespective of party. When all of these are thrown out of the window, dissent is natural. We can still hit back at the decision-makers, but how many are willing to start the agitation? It almost looks like people who struck a deal with the decision-makers before the formation of the government got the best out of it.”
Followers and fans of leaders like KS Eshwarappa and B Sriramulu staged protests alleging injustice. However, both leaders appealed against any kind of disruption. “I condemn any protests taking place against my party over my supposed displeasure. This isn’t right. Party comes first for BJP karyakartas. I am always bound by all decisions taken by the party,” tweeted Health minister Sriramulu. His supporters protested in Koppal, Ballari, Hosadurga, and Yadgir demanding Deputy CM post for him
“Our only focus should be on the development. We have to stand by the people affected due to floods and drought. We should readily take up the responsibilities given to us as per the decision of the party and seniors. I appeal against any protest or disruption,” Eshwarappa tweeted, even as his famous Sangolli Rayanna brigade demanded the Deputy CM post for him too.
Despite being caught in the eye of a storm, Dy CM Laxman Savadi looked composed at the BJP office as the new party state president Nalin Kumar Kateel took charge. “BJP is a different party and I am an example of it. Even when I lost elections, the party has held the hand of a loyal worker,” he said.
Many stay away as Kateel takes over
In a sure sign of the discontent brewing within the BJP over portfolio allocations, several leaders chose to stay away from the formal ceremony marking the elevation of MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to the post of state president of BJP