On the eve of the Budget session on Sunday, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will fly to Delhi and meet BJP national president J.P. Nadda at 3 p.m. to finalise the choice of Leader of the Opposition in the State.
Given that Mr. Yediyurappa will be meeting the party president only on Sunday afternoon, there is uncertainly over when Legislature Party meeting to elect the Leader of the Opposition will be held, which will have to be before the commencement of the session on Monday.
When the Legislature Party meeting is held, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in charge of polls for the party in the State, will likely come as an observer, sources said. Multiple BJP MLAs confirmed that they were yet to receive any communication from the party about the meeting.
The contenders
While former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is said to be leading the race, among the other contenders is Vijayapura MLA and strong Hinduva voice of the party Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.
The names of C.N. Ashwath Narayan, S. Sunil Kumar, S. Suresh Kumar, and Aaraga Jnanendra are also doing the rounds, sources in the party said.
Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is batting for Mr. Bommai even as he faces significant push back from the opposite camp. Many MLAs also blame him for the party’s debacle in the recently concluded Assembly polls and are seeking a change. However, Mr. Bommai reportedly has an edge over others for his caste identity as a Veerashaiva-Lingayat, Mr. Yediyurappa’s support which is key for the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2024, his knowledge of the administration, and his acumen as a good parliamentarian, sources added.
However, though Mr. Yatnal may not find favour because of his strident Hindutva views, sources in the party said that there is a significant backing for him for that very reason from some quarters.
High command should intervene
Meanwhile, the delay in the election of the Leader of the Opposition has come under criticism from both within the BJP and from the ruling Congress. “One of the worst debacles of the party in the Assembly polls has has only aggravated factional fights in the party. It is high time the party high command intervenes, disciplines everyone, and brings about a leadership change,” said a senior party MLA, who did not wish to be quoted. The last few days have seen several BJP leaders blaming each other for the poll debacle.
The Congress has tweeted taking a swipe at the BJP for not being able to elect the Leader of the Opposition till now. In a series of tweets, the Congress issued a mock advertisement saying the State needs an Opposition leader. It also said that 50 days after the elections and three guarantee schemes being launched, the State is still waiting for a credible Opposition leader.
