BJP to Prioritise Local Body Polls in Karnataka, Says Yediyurappa Amid Alliance Uncertainty

Bengaluru, Jan 2026 : BJP Central Parliamentary Board member and former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the party will place special emphasis on securing victories in the upcoming local body elections across the state. He underlined that the exercise is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the party’s organisational base and prepare for future electoral battles.

Speaking to the media at the BJP’s state headquarters, “Jagannath Bhavan” in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa said senior leaders, including the state party president, have begun holding district-level meetings with key leaders and party workers. These meetings, he said, are aimed at reviewing organisational strength and chalking out strategies for the forthcoming local body polls.

“With the objective of strengthening the organisation and the party structure, we have started holding meetings in every district. Discussions are also being held on the upcoming local body elections as part of this process,” Yediyurappa said.

He asserted that the BJP has decided to give special focus to ensuring the victory of its candidates by exposing what he described as the misrule of the Congress government in Karnataka. “We will highlight the failures of this government before the people and ensure that our candidates emerge victorious,” he said.

Responding to a question about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state, Yediyurappa said comparisons with former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs were misplaced. He said Urs and Siddaramaiah followed different styles of governance and could not be equated.

“At a time when this government is steeped in corruption, people will not appreciate attempts to project achievements through conventions and publicity-driven events,” he remarked. He further claimed that the BJP has already begun registering victories in local body elections held in various parts of the state.

Yediyurappa said the BJP is working with a clear objective of returning to power in Karnataka with a massive majority in the next Assembly elections. “Our party workers are highly enthusiastic. In the coming days, you will see the BJP achieving significant success in the local body elections,” he said confidently.

Notably, the senior leader made no reference to an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) while addressing the media, even as speculation continues over the future of the BJP-JD(S) partnership at the local level.

The silence comes amid growing unease within sections of the Karnataka BJP, particularly in Mandya district, where party leaders have openly expressed opposition to an alliance with the JD(S) in local body elections. Their concerns follow a recent statement by former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha member H.D. Deve Gowda, who announced that the JD(S) would contest the local body polls independently.

According to party sources, BJP leaders raised objections during a recent core committee meeting, expressing displeasure over Deve Gowda’s remarks. Leaders from Mandya, including former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, former Minister K.C. Narayana Gowda, and others, are said to be upset, especially since the BJP had earlier ceded the Mandya Lok Sabha seat to the JD(S) as part of the alliance.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, K.C. Narayana Gowda said the BJP had made significant sacrifices to support the JD(S) in the Lok Sabha elections. “We gave up our right to contest the Mandya Lok Sabha seat even though we had a sitting MP. We convinced the party high command and worked actively for the victory of H.D. Kumaraswamy,” he said.

Recently, Deve Gowda reiterated that the JD(S) would contest local body elections on its own to strengthen its grassroots base. He clarified that seat-sharing discussions with BJP leaders would be limited to Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and not extend to local-level polls.

Despite this, Deve Gowda reaffirmed that the JD(S) would continue to remain part of the NDA alliance for major state and national elections, even as uncertainties persist over cooperation at the grassroots level in Karnataka.