Trouble for BJP Government in Karnataka: A Coup Against BSY?
Karnataka Political game is live again, this time there seems to be a rumour of a coup against Yediyurappa by a section of BJP leaders. On June 2nd a group of BJP legislators met for lunch at the house of MLA Umesh Katti. Since then there have been rumours of removal of CM Yeddiyurappa. Umesh Katti is an 8-time MLA from Belgaum however, he did not get any cabinet post in current Karnataka government. There are rumours of him pressing for a Rajya Sabha nomination for his brother Ramesh, a former Lok Sabha member who could not get a ticket in 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is 78 now and BJP is known for retiring its leaders when they turn 75. It is believed that the leadership in Delhi has been hunting for a face who could replace him, but this does not add up to anything related to coup against him. In February 2020, there has been similar rumors when an anonymous letter against Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa made it to media headlines.
Many believe that current crisis is just a media hype created by DK Shivakumar who is currently serving as Karnataka Congress Party President. One must not forget that BJP came to power in Karnataka after the MLAs of the then government of Congress and JDS resigned. There are speculations that after BJP formed a government in Karnataka under BS Yediyurappa, the party leadership in Delhi might have appointed a parallel leadership against the CM.
In Karnataka, polls for the legislative council and Rajya Sabha are due and the state cabinet had decided to allow the Chief Minister to select five MLCs, seats for which will fall vacant. The current political scenario in BJP may have been created by those MLAs who are looking to promote their favourites as an MLC and to the Rajya Sabha. Whether there will be a fall of government once again in Karnataka or a change in leadership of BJP government, time will tell. At the moment when the nation is battling Corona crisis CM Yediyurappa has proven himself to be an efficient leader. BJP knows that any action against him in Karnataka without his consent will prove costly for the entire state unit just like in 2013.