Will iron out differences as BJP state prez: Vijayendra

Maqsood Maniyar

Tumakuru / Hassan /Bengaluru: Newly appointed BJP state president BY Vijayendra on Sunday said that his priority would be to take everyone along and settle “minor differences” in the party.

After interacting with party workers during his visit to Tumakuru, Vijayendra told mediapersons that it was normal for a big party to have some differences.

“It’s such a big party and it is natural there would be some small differences. In the morning, I spoke to Basavaraj anna (former CM Bommai). I also spoke to Madhuswamy (former Law Minister). He had some small leg injury but he has blessed me as well. Minor differences notwithstanding, my topmost priority is to take the blessings of the seniors, unite everyone and take the party forward. Whatever discord there is, I will put things right in the coming days,” he said.

BSY resignation role downplayed

The first time MLA from Shikaripura also tried to downplay the sentiment that his father and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa being sidelined was the reason for the rout that the BJP suffered in May’s Assembly elections, getting reduced to 66 seats.

Yediyurappa had stepped down as CM in 2021 and became marginalised in the state BJP but retained a rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “There is no question of anyone sidelining anyone.

After stepping down as CM, Yediyurappa was even more active in traveling the state (for campaigning) and empowered all senior leaders. We suffered a setback in Assembly elections but our job is to keep these things aside to add to our tally in the Lok Sabha elections,” Vijayendra added.

Earlier, the BJP had been considering elevating a Vokkaliga in Hindutva ideologue CT Ravi to state president. However, ever since the alliance between the BJP and JD(S) was confirmed back in September, party strategists figured that Vokkaliga votes would come to them through the JD(S).

So there was a push for a Lingayat to be appointed as the party state chief so as to shore up the community’s support as a section of them had shifted to the Congress in the last Assembly polls. Interestingly, Lingayats like former minister V Somanna had also thrown their hat into the ring.

Despite Somanna and his son Arun’s differences with Vijayendra, he said that he had spoken to the new state president over the phone and would work together.

Ravi falls in line

A day prior, Ravi in a press conference in Hassan, also denied that there was dissatisfaction in the party surrounding Vijayendra’s appointment, adding that he had congratulated the incoming state president. However, when pressed about the fact that he had attacked rival parties over dynastic politics in the past, he agreed that he had.

“If I say something now, you (news media) will show my old videos. You’ll connect my old videos to different issues. So I won’t answer these questions under these circumstances. The questions that are bugging you are bugging me as well,” Ravi said.

The BJP leader also made cryptic remarks about his removal as party national general secretary and him missing out on the state president’s post as an “exile” of sorts.