Mention of Castes in BSY’s List of Aides Draws Flak
Bengaluru: BJP’s state president B S Yeddyurappa has just announced the names of the office-bearers of the state unit. The list has named ten vice presidents, five general secretaries and ten secretaries.
It has raised many eyebrows for it predominantly contains his loyal supporters and trusted coterie, according to a few party insiders.
More surprisingly, the official list released to the media mentions the caste of each office-bearer against the respective name.
Many insiders are unhappy that the names of the castes have been mentioned when the party has been a avowed protagonist of oneness of the Hindu community.
As expected, Udupi-Chikkamagalu MP Shobha Karandlaje is among the general secretaries. Similarly, Chikkamagaluru MLA C T Ravi, who was a strong contender for the president’s post has been appointed another general secretary.
What has baffled many party leaders is that former DCM R Ashoka, a powerful Vokkaliga leader and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalinkumar Kateel, a Bunt who was even being tipped to the president of the state party some time ago, have been left out.
Reports from Mangaluru and Madikeri say that the party workers are very upset that the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu, which have been strongholds of the BJP have not been represented.
The BJP supporters from Kodagu in particular have vented out their outbursts profusely in the social media.
One of them has mentioned that Kodagu has been a Congress-free district for long and yet the party has not been recognized by Yeddyurappa.
A highly-placed party functionary, on condition of anonymity, whispered that no party leader worth the mention could dare open his mouth since Yeddyurappa was handpicked by PM Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah. He called it an eerie spell of silence, because no prominent party leader has even given a reaction to the appointments.