K’taka leadership murmurs grow, BSY hints at imminent exit

National

Amid the speculations over Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa exit, the Lingayat community is back in focus, Yediyurappa has been the most popular face of the Lingayat community in the party and also enjoyed the big electoral support from the community. He has started getting support from the influential peoples of the Lingayat community, like seers from the various mutts and Congress MLAs from the community.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community, a highly influential community in Karnataka comprising nearly 17 percent of the state’s population.

Many of the mutt leaders who attended the meeting have warned the BJP against any move to replace the 78-year-old. Veera Someshwara Shivacharya Swami said any move to replace Yediyurappa will have big consequences for the BJP. “Friction is common in politics, let anyone say anything, we have confidence that BS Yediyurappa will continue as the chief minister and complete the term. If there are any shortcomings during this, it will have big consequences for the party,” he said.

Backing Yediyurappa, the Congress MLA, who is also a former minister, said the Veerashaiva Mahasabha is supporting the chief minister “As long as BS Yediyurappa is there, the BJP will be there in Karnataka. If Yediyurappa is disturbed, things for the party will end then and there.” Reports claimed in the meeting with BJP’s top leadership, he has been told that the party is in a favour of changing a state leadership with a younger face ahead of the 2023 Assembly election. Yediyurappa told the delegation of Lingayat seers that he will have to abide by the decision of the party high command, giving some confidence to speculation that a change of leadership is on the board.