“The BJP is leaderless in Karnataka now. If it stays this way, it will be called a sinking ship,” the former MLA M.P. Renukacharya said in Davangere on Sunday.
“Earlier, we used to refer to the Congress as a sinking ship. But, now, the BJP has come to a stage when it is being described as a sinking ship by some of its own leaders,” he said.
He told journalists that he is only providing feedback for course correction and that he is not talking like this because he wants to quit the BJP or join any other party.
He said that some autocratic BJP leaders have destroyed the party by reducing internal democracy and making it [party] their fiefdom.
“They have tied the hands of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who has been responsible for the growth of the party. Similarly, several other leaders who have been responsible for the party’s growth and expansion have been relegated to a corner in the organisation,” he said.
“The BJP has been turned into a corporate house run by a few managers where the opinion of many workers is disregarded. It is similar to an anthill that is taken over by snakes. The party is clearly divided into factions. You can easily make out which legislator or which party leader is in which faction,” he added.
“The same leaders who are dominating the decision-making process in the party at the State level earlier lied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which resulted in the defeat of the BJP in the 2023 Assembly polls. These people have monopolised the party organisation here,” Mr. Renukacharya said.
“This cannot go on for long. The party should strengthen the hands of Mr. Yediyurappa, rather than silencing him. He should be given authority in the party and asked to tour the State. Only then can we expect a better result in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
