Mysuru: A protest in T Narasipura over a Ganesha idol immersion procession route has brought state BJP’s internal differences in Mysuru out in the open. With several senior netas, including former minister S A Ramadas, remaining largely inactive in party affairs, factionalism within the party is all too palpable.BJP activists have demanded that the state leadership must not allow governing Congress an undue advantage due to a rift within the party.According to BJP sources, former MP Pratap Simmha and the party’s Mysuru city unit president L Nagendra are at loggerheads for some time now. Differences have surfaced over several issues, including selection of candidates for the Mysuru City Corporation elections, the PNG scheme, and issues of development in the Chamaraja constituency.Nagendra’s supporters continue to allege that supporters of Simmha had worked against their neta during the 2023 assembly elections in the Chamaraja constituency, contributing to Congress candidate K Harishgowda’s victory against Nagendra. With Simmha now eyeing the Chamaraja seat for the 2028 assembly elections, the rivalry between the two has only intensified, party activists said.A senior BJP neta said tensions increased recently after Nagendra’s supporters put up hoardings across Chamaraja to mark his birthday. Around the same time, Simmha announced he would approach the high court through a PIL against illegal hoardings and flex banners in the area.“Although Simmha has been opposing illegal hoardings for a long time, Nagendra’s supporters viewed his latest move as an indirect attack on Nagendra. This further widened the chasm between the two camps,” the leader added.The differences became even more pronounced with the announcement of a protest in T Narasipura. The party’s state brass was reportedly divided over the format of the protest, with one group favouring an overnight protest while the other rooting for it to wind up by evening.“The differences and mistrust between the two camps have eventually spilled into the open. Their verbal duel during the protest went viral on social media, causing embarrassment to the party,” a BJP leader said.BJP state in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal said the issue had come to his notice and that senior functionaries, including R Ashoka, who led the T Narasipura protest, would address the issue.BJP Mysuru division co-in charge EC Ningaraju said the issue had been brought to the notice of the state brass, which would take steps to resolve the differences.
