As the Karnataka BJP prepares for a massive show of strength at BS Yediyurappa’s ‘Abhimanotsava’ in Davangere on May 9 to mark his 50 years in public life, the event has once again underlined the party’s continued dependence on its tallest Lingayat leader at a time when the State unit is struggling to emerge from his long political shadow.
To commemorate 50 years of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s political journey, a special event titled Abhimanotsava will be held in Chitradurga on May 9. Party leaders and workers from Mysuru are set to participate in the celebrations honouring the veteran BJP leader, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expected to attend. The organisers are anticipating a gathering of over 10 lakh people for the event.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra, who is also Yediyurappa’s son, addressed the media during the ongoing preparations. “This abhimanosthava is probably the only thing we can offer a brave leader like Yediyurappa. I’m not speaking as his son, but as a party worker. An activist, farmer hero, and people’s leader deserves this celebration. His whole life, he has been involved in fighting for the people. There are no political motivations behind his celebration. We just want to convey our heartfelt regards to him.”
B S Yediyurappa was born in 1943 in Bookanakere village in Mandya district, into a farming family belonging to the Lingayat community.
Before entering active politics, Yediyurappa briefly served as a clerk in the social welfare department in Bengaluru before moving to Shivamogga. He later worked at a rice mill in Shikaripura and eventually started a small hardware business.
Political journey
His political journey began through grassroots social and ideological work. During the 1970s, he became associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and later joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to the BJP. He first rose in local politics as a councillor in Shikaripura before becoming president of the town municipality.
Political analyst Harish Ramaswamy said Yediyurappa, along with late BJP leader Ananth Kumar, laid the foundation for the BJP in Karnataka at a time when the Congress dominated the state politically.
“Yediyurappa worked from the grassroots when the BJP barely had a presence in Karnataka,” Ramaswamy said, adding that the party’s early Karnataka unit was “largely secular” in its approach and focused more on inclusive development than aggressive Hindutva politics.
Yediyurappa’s political style stood apart from the more hardline image the BJP later acquired nationally. “Even during his tenure as chief minister, he was not comfortable with hate politics. He understood politics as a way of gaining power and governing, not hating communities,” he said.
Ramaswamy argued that Yediyurappa’s accommodative and accessible personality helped him cut across political lines and build broad social acceptability, particularly among Lingayats, at a time when identity politics was reshaping politics in India. This was even though More specifically, he is from the Panchamasali sub-sect of Lingayats, whihc was not considered Puritan Lingayat kind.
At the same time, he noted that Yediyurappa’s contribution was driven more by welfare programmes and political mobilisation than ideological or policy depth. “He was more of a programme-oriented politician than a policy-driven leader,” he said, referring to schemes targeted at farmers, students, and rural communities.
Ramaswamy also said the scale of the Abhimanotsava reflected the BJP’s leadership vacuum in Karnataka. “Unfortunately, in Karnataka, I am unable to see a good BJP leader. There is localized constituency-based leadership, like with R Ashok, BY Vijendra, or Yathnal. These are not even pan-Karnataka people.”
He noted that one of the reasons the BJP has not been able to perform effectively in Karnataka is the absence of a strong second-level leadership. Post-Yediyurappa, the party has been witnessing internal fights, sub-community divisions, and cadres speaking against leaders and refusing to accept the state leadership. According to him, these weaknesses have continued to hold the party back.
Ramaswamy further said the current leadership has been unable to criticise the Karnataka Congress government “sensibly”, resulting in a visible political and leadership gap within the Karnataka BJP.
Published on May 8, 2026