Karnataka: BS Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra Yediyurappa is new state president

Almost six months after losing the assembly elections in Karnataka, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed Vijayendra Yediyurappa as the president of the state unit on Friday, as per a report by Hindustan Times. Vijayendra Yediyurappa is the son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and party MLA from Shikaripura constituency. The appointment ends a month of bickering within the party unit, which was looking divided after the Congress ousted the BJP from power.

“BJP National President Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Shri Vijayendra Yediyurappa, MLA as State President of Karnataka, BJP. This appointment comes into immediate effect,” the BJP said in a statement.

The Karnataka BJP still has to resolve some major issues within the party as the appointment of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) is also due in the southern state. The appointment of Vijayendra Yediyurappa as the chief of the state unit displays the influence BS Yediyurappa holds even after stepping down from electoral politics.

As per the HT report, senior BJP leaders from Karnataka like Shoba Karandlaje, CT Ravi, and V. Sunil Kumar were in the race to become the state President, but the party leadership chose young Vijayendra Yediyurappa. He will take over from Nalin Kumar Kateel, as the 10th BJP chief of Karnataka.

Tensions brewing in Karnataka BJP

The decision will come as a relief to many as the Karnataka unit of BJP was looking very divided over the appointment of the state BJP chief. During a press conference on Wednesday, former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda also announced his retirement from electoral politics and was reportedly unhappy with the party remaining leaderless for so many months.

The tensions in the Karnataka BJP are also on the rise due to the decision of the party's high command to induct JD(S) into NDA for the parliamentary elections. The reports claim that state leaders of the BJP expressed their displeasure over their complete exclusion from the decision.