BJP-JD(S) Rift Deepens In Karnataka Over Bidadi Township Protest After B Y Vijayendra's Leaked Remarks

Bengaluru, Aug 10: The Karnataka opposition coalition partners -- BJP and JD(S) seem to be dragging a strained relationship, with the BJP staying away from much hyped Padayatra from Bidadi to Bengaluru, protesting against the Bidadi township project.

The BJP President B Y Vijayendra has not only stayed away from Padayatra, but also was seen whispering to Minister Madhu Bangarappa that the JD(S) had a personal agenda in protesting against the project, while most of the farmers were happily receiving compensation from the government.

The cold war between the two parties has been there for sometime. Though the JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy shared good rapport with BJP Central leaders like Amit Shah, Modi and others, his relationship with the State BJP leaders is not coordial. When the JD(S) took up the Bidadi issue, even the State BJP leaders expressed equal enthusiasm and announced a padayatra against the project, Kumaraswamy was not amused. Instead, he complained to the BJP central leaders that the BJP was not taking the coalition partners seriously.

When the BJP central leaders alerted Vijayendra, he personally went and met Kumaraswamy and extended full cooperation to the coalition partner. The BJP also announced that they would be holding a joint Padayatra with JD(S). However, without even consulting the BJP, JD(S) announced the dates for Padayatra under the leadership of Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Meanwhile, a video where Vijayendra participated in a governmental development works program at his home constituency Shikaripura got leaked. Before the program started, Shivamogga district in charge minister Madhu Bangarappa casually asks Vijayendra about the padayatra.

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Vijayendra casually replies that the Padayatra was not so important as it was a personal agenda of the JD(S) and BJP had nothing to do with it.

However, both were not aware that one of the microphones attached to a digital broadcaster was on and it had recorded the conversation. The video became public fto the major embarrassment of Vijayendra.

Now, Kumaraswamy has not taken the video kindly and has many more complaints against the State BJP President to be reported to BJP central leadership.