A view of the Greater Bengaluru Authority building. The strategy of the BJP high command-driven campaigns for civic polls is not unique to Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has put in charge a heavy-duty panel to drive the party’s campaign and ticket distribution for the upcoming Bengaluru civic polls. This is a reflection of the party unit in the State being in disarray and the high command taking things into their own hands, party insiders say.
The strategy of high command-driven micro-managed campaigns, overseen by the party’s key strategists, for civic polls is not unique to Bengaluru. It was tried with good results in Hyderabad and Kerala.
It was first attempted in 2020, when Bhupender Yadav, the party’s key strategist and a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was in charge for civic polls in Hyderabad. But unlike in Karnataka, the party is weak in these States. The BJP high command did not send any leaders from the Centre to oversee the recent civic polls in Maharashtra, including for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the richest civic body in the country, where the BJP won. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis drove the party’s campaign and electioneering as well.
However, despite the BJP forming the government in the State twice and winning majorities in Bengaluru’s municipality in the last two polls, the high command has appointed a veteran like Ram Madhav, a key strategist in critical areas like the North East and Jammu and Kashmir, as the in-charge. This seems like a clear sign of “no confidence” in the local leadership, a senior leader of the party in the State said.
BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra has been facing consistent dissent within the party, with calls for changing him reaching the high command. With a new national president at the helm, whether he will be reappointed as the State president or not is still a question. Suspension of rebel leader Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal from the party has not put an end to dissidence.
Meanwhile, there is dissidence in the Bengaluru region as well. R. Ashok, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, was once seen as the party’s face for the city. However, he has also been facing open opposition from several quarters, including the city’s Vokkaliga BJP MLAs, the community he belongs to. The city unit of the party, like the State unit, is suffering from multiple factions.
“We welcome the high command appointing Mr. Madhav as incharge for GBA polls, as this would prevent any faction trying to dominate ticket distribution. Now we hope surveys, data and winnability will guide the exercise,” said a former city BJP councillor.
In 2015, though the BJP won a simple majority in the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council, the Congress, in power then as well, came together with the JD(S) and Independents and snatched power from the BJP for four years. This post-poll mismanagement by local BJP leaders is also one of the reasons why the high command doesn’t want to take any chances this time, sources in the party said.
Published – January 23, 2026 12:08 am IST
