BJP’s Karnataka campaign in choppy waters

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming for an encore of its 2019 performance of winning 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, has found itself in choppy waters in the southern state after a few senior party leaders, overlooked for the upcoming general elections, are threatening to derail the campaign.
A rebellion by some senior leaders who were denied Lok Sabha tickets is a replay of the dissent that came to light during last year’s assembly polls, with former ministers Jagadish Shettar and KS Eshwarappa made public their displeasure at being overlooked for tickets.
While Shettar has been accommodated in the list that was announced last week, Eshwarappa has lashed out at the leadership for overlooking his son for the Haveri seat. Former chief minister and Lok Sabha MP DV Sadananda Gowda also joined the league of disgruntled seniors and hinted that he is open to the idea of joining the Congress.
Karadi Sanganna Amarappa, a two-time legislator from Koppal, is also on the verge of switching camps. Although allegations of graft and poor administration led to the downfall of the BJP government in the state polls last year, dissent by senior leaders was also seen as a catalyst for the defeat.
Meanwhile, senior Union minister and prominent BJP face from the state – Shobha Karandlaje – added to the leadership’s woes with her controversial remarks about Tamil Nadu being a training ground for terror. She, however, apologised for her comments late on Tuesday.
The party leadership, busy quelling the disquiet in the Karnataka unit to ensure its Lok Sabha preparations are on track, had to shift focus and douse the fire that broke out on social media after Karandlaje lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government, linking their “policy of appeasement” to the blast in a popular Bengaluru cafe recently.
In a statement and a series of tweets, the minister said, “Mr. Stalin, What has become of Tamil Nadu under your rule? Your appeasement politics have emboldened radical elements to attack against Hindus & BJP workers day and night…Frequent Bomb blasts bearing the hallmarks of terror outfits like ISIS explode while you turn a blind eye. FYI, the Rameshwaram bomber was trained in Krishnagiri forests under your nose.”
In another tweet she said, “Tamil makkal has a long history of harmonious relations with Karnataka. They have been an integral part of Karnataka’s social fabric, contributing immensely to the state. We have close cultural bonds and shared history.”
Hours later, Karandlaje posted an apology on X, saying, “To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamil Nadu effected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments.”
A senior party leader admitted that the statement, coming on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the power of ‘Shakti’ in Tamil Nadu, has the potential to upset the party’s campaign in both the states.