BJP general secretary hints at overhaul in Karnataka unit
Mysuru (KTK), (PTI): BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh on Sunday indicated that a major overhaul in the party's Karnataka unit is on the cards with just a year left for the state assembly elections.
The indications also pointed to the local body elections, which are round the corner in some parts of the state.
During the Corporation election in Delhi, we decided not to give ticket to any sitting corporators. In the Gujarat civic election, the two-time corporators were given Saamoohika Nivrutti' (mass retirement). It was also decided not to give ticket to their friend circles as well, Santhosh, who is in charge of BJP organisation, said.
Addressing the party workers here, Santhosh said now the whole lot is of BJP's workers, who used to sit in the last bench and have been brought to the first bench.
In some parties those who are in the back bench remain in the back forever, Santhosh said adding the saffron party has exhibited the courage and strength to make corrections.
When Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the entire cabinet was changed to bring novelty', the BJP leader explained.
Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who is known for his controversial statements and had been up in arms against the dynastic politics' of B S Yediyurappa when he was the Chief Minister, backed Santhosh.
What's happening now is some leader's family has at least four to five people donning the political jacket. It's being witnessed in Karnataka. That trend has to end because many party workers strive and they should be given a chance, Yatnal told reporters in Vijayapura.
According to him, the BJP's core philosophy is against dynasty politics.
Noting that the founding principle of the BJP was one man, one post', Yatnal said, "National president cannot be the prime minister or vice versa. Dynastic politics has spread in the political parties like AIDS. I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand on this issue and Santhosh's statement to eradicate dynastic politics. .
To a query on the possibility of change in guard, the BJP MLA said it is left to the BJP central leadership.
Citing example of Jharkhand and Gujarat where the leadership change was swiftly executed, Yatnal said the party leadership is capable of doing it.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
