Amid the ongoing factional feud in the Karnataka BJP, five BJP leaders in Karnataka including three legislators were issued show-cause notices for making "unwarranted" comments on the internal affairs of the party in public forums.
BJP's central disciplinary committee on Tuesday issued notices to former MLAs Katta Subramanya Naidu and M.P. Renukacharya, both close aides of BJP state president BY Vijayendra, and B.P. Harish, who has identified with the rebel leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal camp, ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar, who have maintained distance from the party hinting at a potential shift in their political affiliations.
"The comments are in clear contravention of the party's discipline code and going public over organisational matters amounts to a breach of party discipline as per the Article XXV section d and f of the Party's Constitution," stated the notices signed by Om Pathak, member secretary of the Committee, which has given a 72-hour deadline to reply to the notice.
Earlier too, the Committee issued two notices to Yatnal for repeatedly criticising the state party chief. But he remained defiant and claimed that he had not indulged in any "anti-party" activity but only spoken against the former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra. Yatnal also met Pathak and urged the leadership to end dynastic politics in the party, remove corrupt leaders from key posts who were indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress.
This time, the party high command is hoping to resolve the conflict once and for all by sending a strong message to all the members violating the discipline code and causing embarrassment to the party.
According to sources, senior leaders from the state who have maintained distance from both factions cautioned the party against growing factionalism turning into a major hurdle to the party's performance in the 2028 Assembly polls.
Even as the infighting over the election of office bearers in some of the districts, and the demand for replacing the state president continue, the party leadership is mulling over direct nomination of the state chief without giving any scope for dissent by conducting the election for the top post.
Speculations are rife over the party considering a "consensus" candidate to lead the party and veterans like Basavaraj Bommai or V Somanna might emerge as the dark horse or Vijayendra might continue till the end of the three-year term that ends in November 2026.
