Q&A with B N Bhanuprakash, BJP leader: Why can't KSE attend Rayanna rally'

Bengaluru: Until he was axed as vice-president by state party president B.S. Yeddyurappa, few outside Karnataka's political circle knew of M.B. Bhanu Prakash, a BJP MLC. Unlike many BJP politicians who have switched over to designer clothes, a dhoti remains his signature attire.

In a subtle attack on the BJP's putative chief ministerial candidate, he makes a telling point to Bhaskar Hegde: " Remember, when B.S. Yeddyurappa quit BJP to form KJP, we still won 40 seats in Assembly elections. Going by your logic, without him, the BJP is zero. If I accept your point for argument's sake, how many seats did the KJP win under Mr Yeddyurappa? Has everybody forgotten this? Under the guise of mass popularity, one can’t push dictatorial attitude..."
Incidentally, the Karnataka Janata Party won six seats.

Excerpts:
Did you anticipate your removal from the vice president’s post?
No. There is a reason for it.  This is not something new we did now. We have been fighting for the last 10 months or so. In the intervening period, we were never called and asked what our grievances are. If I was called and asked to put in my papers, I would have done it dutifully. They would have avoided signing this paper at 12.30 am.

Though it was not a replacement, within a week after you were removed, V. Srinivas Prasad was appointed as vice president. Is it a fair?
Our party has some rules with regard to number of vice presidents and general Secretaries’ or other office bearers’. These norms are changed whenever required. The present norm suggests we can go up to nine vice presidents. So, if Mr Prasad’s appointment is within the norm, there is nothing wrong in appointing him the vice president. What they could have done is to call and tell me that they wanted to accommodate Mr Prasad, and I would have resigned without a protest.

One allegation is all of you cannot win elections. You demand too much from a party president who is a mass leader and who can win elections?
Very good question. For your information, I won a zilla panchayat election whereas Nirmal Kumar and Sogadu Shivanna and others were MLAs and ministers. I worked for D.V. Sadananda Gowda,

Ananthkumar Hegde and B.Y, Raghavendra when they contested Lok Sabha polls. Our work is not seen in rallies. And remember, when Mr Yeddyurappa went out of BJP to form KJP, we worked hard and we won 40 seats in the  Assembly polls. Going by your logic, without him, the Bharatiya Janata Party is zero. How many seats did the Karnataka Janata Party win under his (Mr Yeddyurappa) leadership? What we say is that in the guise of mass popularity, one cannot be dictatorial in his attitude.

You claim you are very loyal to the party. But you have associated with a leader (K.S. Eshwarappa), who formed Sangolli Rayanna Brigade which is at undermining your party’s prospects?
Brahmin leaders can attend Brahmin samaveshas and leaders of other castes too can do so. Why can’t Mr Eshwarappa attend Rayanna Brigade function? He even invited Mr Yeddyurappa to inaugurate the Brigade activity. He has been constantly saying he will work to elect Mr Yeddyurappa as the Chief Minister. Even then you (Mr Yeddyurappa)  don’t trust him. We cannot go around the state and complain that the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) joined hands to defeat us. They are our rivals and they will resort to such tactics. We have to come out with our own strategy to defeat them. We need to employ different strategies, and one of them, diplomacy,is important in politics.

Leaders like Pralhad Joshi instigate you and others to rebel, and then try to remain neutral?
It is not only Mr Joshi. You ask any leader, either Jagadish Shettar or R. Ashok, whether they need democracy within the party or not or whether they prefer a method of consensus for taking decisions or do they back a unilateral decision making processes? I am sure they all are for internal democracy and consensus politics.

What is the future course of action?
You have to remember it is not about an individual. Since 1951, we have been fighting on ideological grounds. If we distance from this, we will be nowhere. The battle for ideology will continue.