BS Yediyurappa on Monday announced he will step down as the Karnataka chief minister. He met governor Tawarchand Gehlot after lunch and handed over his resignation.
BS Yediyurappa said while announcing his resignation, "I have decided that I will resign from the post of Karnataka's Chief Minister. I am going but not out of sadness. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I appeal that all of us should work together to build the party."
"I am grateful to the party for giving me this opportunity even after (I turned) 75 years," he told reporters. Earlier, in his speech, he said: "When (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was Prime Minister he asked me to be a minister at the Centre. But I said I will be in Karnataka."
The BJP had grown in Karnataka, he said, adding: "It has always been an agnipariksha (trial by fire) for me. These last two years it was Covid."
The resignation was widely anticipated but Mr. Yediyurappa kept everyone guessing till yesterday.
Why did Yediyurappa resign?
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has previously cited health issues as the reason for his resignation. As the dissent within the party in the state was growing, many people, including his followers and people of the Lingayat community, feel that he was pressured to resign by the party leadership.
Today, dismissing the claims of pressure from party high command, Yediyurappa said "There was no pressure on me to resign. I did it on my own so that after the two years are over, someone else can take over as chief minister. In the next election, I would strive tirelessly to restore the BJP to power.”
He went on to say that he has not named anyone as his successor to the party's central leadership.
However, there are several factors that led to the resignation of Lingayat's strongman, according to Times now News.
Also Read: After Yediyurappa resignation, BJP to appoint central observers to elect new K'taka CM
Brewing dissent within the party
Several BJP MLAs spoke out against the 78-year-old chief minister, with BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal stating first that the party cannot have Yediyurappa as the chief minister in the upcoming elections. According to Time now News, to keep the BJP alive in the state, Yatnal reckons the CM must be replaced.
CP Yogeshwara, the state tourism minister, and Arvind Bellad, the Huballi-Dharwad MLA, also have spoken out against the CM.
Former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, who was dropped from the Union Cabinet and returned to Bengaluru, led an internal revolt against Yediyurappa. During the welcome, there were chants that Gowda would be the future Karnataka chief minister.
Allegations of corruption
In addition, Yediyurappa was accused of being involved in the alleged illegal allocation of 24 acres of government land to private people at a loss to the taxpayer. The Supreme Court stayed the criminal proceedings against him in a 10-year-old corruption case involving suspected illegal land de-notification in April of this year.
Allegations of interfering with state government were also hurled against Yediyurappa's family, including his sons- BY Raghavendra (47) and BY Vijayendra (45), for leveraging the 78-year old's powers to pursue personal financial interests at the expense of state concerns.
Age
Several BJP leaders highlighted the importance of a young leader taking up the state unit's baton for the upcoming Assembly elections. It should be recalled that the Yediyurappa government came to office by toppling former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's Congress-JD(S) coalition government.
Ineffective crisis management
Due to CM's alleged mishandling of the state's COVID-19 crisis "the state severely failed the manage the COVID situation, causing national shame for the party,” Yatnal stated.
Furthermore, Yeddyurappa stated today that the state was ravaged by floods at the time. "People are losing faith in officials and elected representatives; we must work to rebuild their trust," he said.
Who will replace him as CM?
The BJP leadership assembled shortly after Yediyurappa announced his resignation to seek a replacement for the 78-year-old leader. According to sources, Nadda, Amit Shah, and Arun Singh, the Karnataka in-charge, met in Parliament to discuss the matter.
"By the evening, a central observer will be appointed. Yediyurappa would serve as acting chief minister of Karnataka till the BJP's Legislative Party elects a new leader," said media reports.
The central leadership has shortlisted some individuals based on the state's caste system. "Caste plays a crucial role in Karnataka politics, and the new chief minister would be chosen based on the state's social dynamics," the source added.
Yediyurappa is from the Lingayat community which has the largest population in the state. The community people are upset about their representative's resignation, and it would be extremely difficult for BJP to replace him.
The frontrunners are currently from the Lingayat, Vokkaliga, and Brahmin communities. Murugesh Nirani (currently, Karnataka minister for mines and geology), Arvind Bellad (MLA from Hubli-Dharwad west), Basavarah Bommai (Karnatka home minister), CN Ashwath Narayan (Karnataka deputy chief minister), CT Ravi (BJP national general secretary), Pralhad Joshi (Union minister of coal, mines and parliamentary affairs) and B L Santhosh (BJP national organising secretary) are the faces one of whom might become the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Also Read: BJP Likely To Face Consequences Of Yediyurappa's Resignation; Heads Of Lingayat Say Wrong Decision
How will Yediyurappa’s resignation affect BJP in upcoming elections?
The Lingayats are Karnataka's largest ethnic group, accounting for nearly 17 percent of the state's population. According to a report by The Indian Express, there are over 500 mutts in Karnataka. Lingayat mutts are the most prevalent, followed by Vokkaliga mutts.
Because they have a significant following and occupy a central space in their respective sub-sects, Lingayat mutts in the state are quite influential and are directly involved in politics.
Yediyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community and has avid supporters. The outcome of 35 to 40% of Assembly seats can be determined by the Lingayat strongman, Yediyurappa.
Over 100 seers from various Lingayat mutts across Karnataka met with Yediyurappa earlier this month and affirmed their support, warning the BJP of dire consequences if he was replaced.
Now, his resignation has upset the community and choosing the CM from some other community will surely be destructive for BJP in the upcoming state elections. Not only Yediyurappa’s followers but the Congress member from the dominant community stood in the support of CM, slamming the BJP.
According to a senior BJP leader from the state, “If anyone gets any chance except the Lingayat community, then everyone will accept it. However, the decision may affect BJP.”
Even though these are the trying times for BJP in the state, Congress has no chance to come to power. BJP is confident that it will once again remain in power in upcoming state assembly elections.