Karnataka BJP peace may not last

The warning Karnataka BJP factions led by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and the Reddy brothers — Janardhana and Karunakara — of Bellary may have smoked a peace pipe, but how long the truce will last only time will tell.

Many in the party and outside believe the rift runs too deep and the central leadership is too fragmented for the compromise to sustain. In fact, many have no doubt that central leaders fanned the rebellion. Karnataka BJP chief Sadananda Gowda, too, was sceptical when he said it was too early to celebrate since the rivals were yet to build bridges.

Yeddyurappa has the satisfaction of retaining the CM’s chair, but he has lost much of his authority. His claim that he has the full backing of the national leadership and would last his term may turn out to be mere bravado.

The central leadership is slated to undergo a change soon. President Rajnath Singh would be replaced and the new dispensation may not be as firmly behind Yeddyurappa.
As for the present, the compromise has reduced him to a nominal CM since all major decisions would have to be henceforth cleared by a coordination committee that has representatives of both camps and is likely to be headed by Sushma Swaraj, who the Reddy brothers call ‘thayi (mother)’.

The Reddys had to drop many demands — the levy on their trucks remains and many of the ministers they wanted sacked are still in the government — but there is the satisfaction of having a coordination committee with their mentors placed above Yeddyurappa to take care of  their interests. Neither side won in this compromise, but the BJP lost its image.