R. Ashok | Photo Credit: File photo
The BJP State leaders have been left red-faced in the wake of their coalition partner and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy firing a salvo at them and publicly seeking to disassociate himself from the proposed padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru on August 3.
Though the padayatra was planned to build further pressure on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to quit in the wake of alleged irregularities allotment of MUDA sites to his family, it may not only lose its steam, but also reflect poorly on the Opposition’s unity if the JD(S), which has a strong political influence on the padayatra route, keeps away.
Compelled to continue
However, the BJP is left with no option but to continue with the padayatra as cancelling it may further affect its image. Hence, the party’s Central leaders are learnt to have intervened and are trying to convince Mr. Kumaraswamy to reconsider his decision. Sources said both Mr. Kumaraswamy and the BJP Central leaders are keen to ensure that the developments do not affect the political alliance between them. In this context, Mr. Kumaraswamy is expected to announce his final stand on the padayatra after discussing it with his father H.D. Deve Gowda.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok told media persons that the BJP will convince Mr. Kumaraswamy about the need to take out the padayatra now. “We have informed the BJP high command about the developments and will abide by its directions,” he said.
Incidentally, Mr. Kumaraswamy’s allegations that the JD(S) was not fully involved at the stage of conceptualisation of the padayatra by the BJP State leadership has added to the undercurrent of dissidence in the BJP as some of the senior leaders maintain that they too were not consulted. “The padayatra was not discussed at the party’s State core committee and we were not consulted at the conceptual stage,” alleged a senior BJP leader, pointing an accusing finger at party State president B.Y. Vijayendra.
BJP’s disgruntled leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has alleged that the padayatra is part of a “pact between Mr. Vijayendra and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar” to unseat Mr. Siddaramaiah.
Meeting with Shah
Meanwhile Mr. Vijayendra met BJP’s key strategist and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday soon after Mr. Kumaraswamy’s outbursts. After the meeting, Mr. Vijayendra posted on X saying that he met Mr. Shah to brief him about the alleged scams in Karnataka involving the Congress government. Claiming that Mr. Shah had praised the manner in which the party State unit had handled them, he said the meeting with the leader had given him a lot of enthusiasm.
