Some of BJP’s biggest leaders in Karnataka were cut down to size in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections. Among them was former Minister and BJP national general secretary CT Ravi, who had angered Lingayat groups, when he said, “The decision on candidates will not be taken in anyone’s kitchen cabinet.” His jibe was aimed at former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who had announced that his son BY Vijayendra will contest from his Shikaripura constituency. A four-time MLA from Chikkamagaluru, Ravi was defeated by Congress’s HD Thammaiah, who was the BJP leader’s former aide and belongs to the Lingayat community.
CT Ravi, whose political career was built on a communal conflict surrounding the dargah at Bababudangiri, continued to make communally provocative statements. In November last year, he hit out at former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah saying, “During the elections, he becomes Hindu, and post-election, he hates Hindus. If Siddaramullah Khan comes to power in the state, Hindus will be finished.” The former Tourism Minister had also termed halal food ‘economic jihad’ last year when there were calls by right-wing groups to boycott halal meat.
BC Nagesh, the School Education Minister was one of the most vocal supporters of the hijab ban in college classrooms in Karnataka. He lost from the Tiptur constituency in Tumkur by a margin of 17652 votes. Two of the biggest controversies that the BJP encountered in the last two years include the hijab ban and the changes in school textbooks. Though many Muslim women had dropped out, Nagesh made things difficult by insisting that they cannot wear hijab even for exams. He also claimed that the number of Muslim women enrolling to colleges had increased.
Health Minister K Sudhakar was another big loser from the BJP. A turncoat, who defected to the BJP from the Congress in 2019, Sudhakar lost by over 10,000 votes to Congress’s Pradeep Eshwar in Chikkaballapur. During the second wave of the pandemic, Sudhakar triggered a row when he reserved 15% beds at prominent Bengaluru hospitals for COVID-19 patients from Chikkaballapur district.
