Q&A: There’s no dissent in BJP over berths, says Nalin Kumar Kateel
Bengaluru: Discordant voices in the ruling BJP had reached a crescendo after Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet inducting 17 ministers but new BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel dismisses them asserting it is common in politics for some to lose the chance to become minister.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, the Dakshina Kannada MP claimed there was no lack of co-ordination between the party and government remarking that even though the state is facing drought and flood at the same time, the government is handling it in the best possible manner.
Kateel's selection had raised eyebrows with sources saying even Chief Minister Yediyurappa was clueless about his appointment till it happened. Sources said the 53-year-old has strong roots in the RSS which could have swung the tide in his favour.
When a low profile party MP becomes state BJP President, it no doubt raises eyebrows. In fact, even Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa was clueless about the appointment of Dakshina Kannada BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel as state president till it happened. There were many aspirants for the prestigious post but the party central leadership made the surprise announcement on August 21, anointing 53-year-old Kateel who has strong roots in the RSS as state chief.
Soon after taking charge from outgoing president Mr Yediyurappa, Mr Kateel embarked on a state tour and interacted with party workers. He reached the party office on Saturday where he was swamped by party workers who were heard pleading with him for suitable positions in the party as well as government. A few of them even sought his blessings, but Mr. Kateel made it clear that he was not here to bless anyone. Here are excerpts from an interview.
What are your plans and programmes to strengthen the party organization in the state?
The party has already covered polling booths across the state. We have teams in each booth who will expand the party at the grassroot level with page pramukhs playing a significant role. We want to ensure that there is one party worker in each home. We also want to augment our membership drive. One page pramukh has been deputed for 10 to 20 houses who will directly contact each house and ensure they become party members.
How do you intend to establish coordination between the party and government?
The party is completely backing the Yediyurappa led government and will give publicity to its policies and programmes. Details of every government programme will be conveyed to each household. Even though the state is facing both drought and flood at the same time, the government is handling them in the best possible way. There is complete coordination between the party and government in taking up relief work. Under ediyurappa's guidance, we too are involved in relief work.
Have you requested the chief minister to appoint party workers and leaders as chairpersons of boards and corporations?
Though it is the discretion of the CM to appoint board and corporation chairpersons, we have forwarded a few names to the government on behalf of the party. It is left to the CM to decide on this. Yediyurappa is someone who built the party and he is well aware of who is a dedicated party worker and who is not. The appointments will be a collective decision of both the government and the party. We are there to protect the interests of party workers. To sum up, both the party and government are very much concerned about protecting the interests of loyal party workers.
In recent years, many leaders from other parties have joined the BJP and original BJP workers are worried that they are being neglected in the party. How will you ensure justice for loyal party workers?
There are no outsiders in the party, once they join the party, they are BJP workers. There is no discrimination between newcomers and original party workers. If the party wants to grow, leaders have to join the party. It is natural that once youth join the party, they will get prominence and may even overtake the seniors. Our job is to take all juniors and seniors together. There are minor differences which is usual in politics but our main aim is to make all leaders work together in the party.
Will the induction of those from other parties not hamper the prospects of those who come from the party organization?
No, our core committee will take care of these issues. If you go by percentage, all leaders and cadre from various backgrounds get proportionate representation in the party.
After the Cabinet expansion, the disgruntled MLAs who were left out from the Cabinet, have vent their anger against the party. How will you pacify them?
There is no dissenting voice in the party. The MLAs who were left out of the Cabinet have expressed their feelings but these cannot be dissenting voices. It is common in politics for some to lose the chance to become minister. No one has openly aired his anger. We will take all of them with us.
The BJP had swept the 2018 Assembly elections in the coastal districts but these districts do not have representation in the Cabinet. Are you taking BJP voters in coastal districts for granted by not taking a single MLA into the Cabinet?
If we had won 120 seats, we would not have faced this problem but we won only 104 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections. The BJP government was formed because of the sacrifice of 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs who resigned as Assembly members. Everybody knows the ground situation. When the opportunity comes, every MLA will get a chance, when MLAs themselves know this, why should we give them an assurance? Sometimes, juniors get a chance to become ministers but this doesn’t mean seniors will be deprived of their chance. Those who are loyal to the party and work for the BJP will definitely get a chance in the coming days.
There is common criticism that Nalin Kumar Kateel’s sphere of influence is restricted to Dakshina Kannada. How do you intend to overcome this geographical barrier and build the party?
Before I was made party president, I was in-charge of the coastal districts. Later, the party made me in-charge of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kerala unit. I toured 14 districts and 104 Assembly constituencies in Kerala. I was actively involved in party activity in Kerala and did my best to strengthen the organization in that state. I have now decided to tour Karnataka and have already covered 16 districts. Geographical barriers will not come in the way of my work. My job is to take all party workers along with me and I am working in that direction.
All these years, the party organisation was controlled by individual leaders, how will you change this and make it more democratic?
We did not have individual centric leadership and have always developed on the basis of our organizational strength. The party cadre does not have such a view, it could be the view of some journalists. Even our workers have not complained to me that the Bharatiya Janata Party is in the clutches of a few individuals. We have an organization based style of functioning which we will continue in future too.
