Yediyurappa’s ‘clear mandate’ call triggers chatter in BJP, JD(S) over pecking order

Bengaluru: BJP patron and former CM BS Yediyurappa's clarion call, urging party workers to secure a clear mandate for the saffron party in the 2028 assembly elections has sparked murmurs within the NDA alliance, with speculation over whether the state unit was signalling its "big brother" status to ally JD(S). Political observers and party functionaries said the former chief minister's remarks has added fuel to ongoing chatter of "one-upmanship" between BJP state president BY Vijayendra and his JD(S) counterpart and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, both seen as potential chief ministerial faces under the NDA banner.
But BJP and JD(S) functionaries insisted Yediyurappa's remarks were merely a reiteration of Vijayendra's ambition to win as many seats as possible in 2028 and consolidate his position within the party. "It is nothing but political posturing between Vijayendra and Kumaraswamy," a senior BJP member said. "These statements seldom make a difference since central party brass take the final decision." JD(S) functionaries also downplayed the remarks, describing them as a political manoeuvre by the father-son duo to project primary leadership within the party. "They are only playing to the gallery," a JD(S) functionary said. "Such statements will have no bearing on the alliance as the final decision will be taken by Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi." BJP functionaries in Karnataka are also upset that JD(S) has a "direct link" with BJP's central brass, bypassing the state unit and leading to internal friction. "In fact, because of this particular ego clash and infighting in BJP, the coordination committee of both parties has still not been formed," another JD(S) functionary said. Officially, both parties dismissed Yediyurappa's remarks as a routine morale-boosting exercise ahead of polls. "Be it BJP or JD(S), we cannot speak of an alliance victory and expect the cadre to rally behind us," said Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP opposition leader in the legislative council. "At a BJP state executive meeting, it is natural for party brass to seek to boost morale of cadre by urging them to ensure a landslide victory for itself. The same goes for JD(S) at their party meetings." KA Thippeswamy, former JD(S) MLC, echoed the sentiment, saying the alliance remains intact, and Yediyurappa's remarks should be seen purely as a call to mobilise BJP workers ahead of the 2028 elections.