Ramesh Jarkiholi says Vijayendra is forcing MLAs from deprived communities to support him

BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi accuses State president B.Y. Vijayendra of coercing support from marginalized communities.

BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra is threatening MLAs from deprived communities into supporting him, party MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi said in Belagavi on Monday.

“Mr. Vijayendra is forcing MLAs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and OBC communities into supporting him and is threatening them that they will not get party ticket for the next elections. That is why, you see all legislators backing him are from these communities. No Lingayat or Vokkaliga MLA is supporting Mr. Vijayendra,” Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is considered a member of the group of discontented leaders in the BJP, said.

“Over 70% of the party MLAs are opposed to Mr. Vijayendra. Some of them are my supporters and others are my friends. They are all upset with the style of functioning of the State party president. They are silent for various reasons, but I am talking. If they come to me and ask me that I should also keep quiet, I will not speak any further,” he said.

“We should be ashamed of losing the bypolls in the three constituencies in the State. Mr. Vijayendra has declared that he did not take the bypolls seriously. What kind of a statement is that. That is irresponsible. Such people should not continue in party positions,” he said.

He said that Mr. Vijayendra is immature and incapable of handling the responsibility of the party State unit president. He should be replaced with a good leader who takes all communities into confidence and not just one community. “If the party seeks recommendations, I will tell them,” he said.

Unlike his father and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Mr. Vijayendra has no real leadership qualities. “He can be made the State unit president after he becomes senior, but not now,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said.

He said that the issue of a show-cause notice to Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is not out of the ordinary. “It is a routine process and Mr. Yatnal will respond to that. Neither Mr. Yatnal nor any member of our group has said anything against the party nor done anything against party interests,” he said.