BJP Leadership Struggle Escalates in Karnataka
Tensions rise within Karnataka BJP as Basangouda Patil Yatnal’s faction lobbies for leadership change

Mangaluru: The ongoing leadership tussle within the Karnataka BJP has escalated, with the faction led by Bijapur City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal ramping up efforts to unseat state BJP president BY Vijayendra.
The anti-Vijayendra camp has now taken its battle to the party’s high command in Delhi, lobbying senior leaders for a change at the helm.
The election process for the state BJP president is currently underway, and while some sections within the party back Vijayendra—who took over from Nalin Kumar Kateel in November 2023—Yatnal and his allies are pushing for new leadership during the election process.
Vijayendra was appointed as the president months before the Parliament election after Nalin Kumar Kateel completed his term.
In a clear display of their intent, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and senior BJP leader Kumar Bangarappa met top party leaders, including BJP national president JP Nadda and organizing secretary BL Santosh, in Delhi on Monday night. Their faction leader, Yatnal, arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening to further strengthen their case. He is likely to meet several leaders.
As senior party leaders will be free after the Delhi Assembly elections conclude on February 5, the Yatnal faction may get an opportunity to present its case and push for a leadership change.
Caste calculations and alternative leadership options
Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Yatnal refrained from naming a specific candidate but stated that his team had submitted a list of potential contenders.
“We have proposed names based on caste considerations. The party is free to decide. If they are looking for a leader from the Lingayat community, I am prepared,” Yatnal declared.
According to sources, the names in the list from the Yatnal team include Kumar Bangarappa (OBC), Basangouda Patil Yatnal (Lingayat), Ramesh Jarkiholi (ST), R Ashok (Vokkaliga), and Aravind Limbavali (Scheduled Caste).
If the high command prefers to avoid a direct contest between the Vijayendra and Yatnal groups, the faction is likely to be open to support Haveri MP and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who too is from Lingayat community, as a consensus candidate.
Growing dissent against Vijayendra
Yatnal has been a vocal critic of Vijayendra from the outset, but his opposition initially lacked significant backing. However, discontent has steadily grown, particularly during the district president elections, where several senior leaders accused Vijayendra of strategically placing his loyalists in key positions to consolidate power. This alleged favoritism has fueled resentment among leaders who feel sidelined within the party structure.
All eyes on High Command
With key discussions taking place in the national capital, all eyes are now on the BJP high command, which must navigate internal rivalries and caste equations while making its final decision.