‘Will bring BJP back to power’: How B.S. Yediyurappa bid farewell to Karnataka assembly
In his 40-year-long career as a legislator, the Lingayat leader became chief minister four times and headed the state for about five years
When B.S. Yediyurappa stood up to participate in the debate on the Karnataka budget in the state Assembly on February 22, he goaded Congress leaders by taking a dig at Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah. But a few minutes later, the mood changed from the regular sparring among legislators to a farewell note, with the veteran saying it was his last speech in the assembly. “This is in a way a farewell. I won’t be coming into this House anymore,” said Yediyurappa.
For Yediyurappa, who turned 80 on February 27, the concluding session of the current Karnataka assembly last week marked the culmination of a 40-year career as a legislator, during which he became chief minister four times and headed the state for about five years. Working his way up from a municipal council member in Shikaripura, Yediyurappa first entered the assembly as an MLA from that constituency in 1983. That year, the BJP, which was a fledgling party at the time, had won 18 seats. But in the mid-term polls of 1985, only two had returned as MLAs—Yediyurappa and K. Vasantha Bangera (who subsequently left the party).
“I’ve never looked back since then,” said Yediyurappa, recalling those early years when he soldiered on to build the party network in the state. The internal rifts in the Janata Dal in the mid-nineties had proved fortuitous for the BJP and for Yediyurappa himself as he eventually emerged as a leader that the powerful Lingayat community identified with. That image was cemented in 2008 when the community’s backing placed him in the chief minister’s chair for the first time.
But as things went awry in that tumultuous first term (2008-2011) amid an iron-ore mining scandal, which unseated the chief minister, Yediyurappa left the BJP to head his own outfit, Karnataka Janata Paksha. The outfit cut into the saffron party’s vote share in 2013, thus proving that Yediyurappa was indispensable to the BJP’s fortunes in the state. He brought the BJP to power again in 2019.
As Karnataka heads into elections, the Lingayat leader is still a crucial factor for the BJP. Ever since he stepped down as chief minister in July 2021, with Basavaraj Bommai succeeding him, the BJP has acknowledged the clout the veteran commands among voters. Hence, to dispel the notion that he was being sidelined, the central leadership in August 2022 appointed Yediyurappa to the BJP’s top governing body, the parliamentary board, and also its central election committee.
In the assembly last week, Yediyurappa himself brought up the topic, dismissing any talk about him being ‘neglected’ by the party. “Nobody has got the kind of opportunities I received,” he said, adding that his aim was “to bring the BJP back to power”.
While reminiscing about his early days as an Opposition leader and the agitations he led, the eight-term legislator credited the RSS for the discipline it inculcated in him. “If I have risen to this stature, it is because of the RSS,” he said.
In his parting comments, Yediyurappa paid rich tributes to former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, describing him as a role model for lawmakers. “Even today, his thoughts are about the country and about guiding us, which is no small matter. We have a lot to learn from him.”
As for himself, Yediyurappa said that he plans to travel across the state to campaign for the BJP. “I’ve decided not to fight elections but I will be there to ensure the party’s victory,” he said. His farewell address was re-tweeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called it an inspiration to party workers.
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