The BJP is grappling with dissidence in its Karnataka unit, with two MLAs joining the list of rebels close on the heels of two veteran leaders coming out against the “dynastic politics” of B.S. Yediyurappa and his sons.

Party lawmakers S.T. Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar, who responded to showcause notices from the party for violating the whip for the Rajya Sabha elections, are likely to support Congress candidates in their respective strongholds.

While Somashekar had cast his “conscience vote” for the Congress in last month’s Rajya Sabha polls, Hebbar had abstained. They responded to the showcause notices served by the BJP legislature party on Thursday. They also met deputy chief minister and state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar on the same day.

Somashekar, who represents Yeshwantpur in the city, is said to have extended support to the Congress’s Bangalore North candidate while Yellapur lawmaker Hebbar offered to support the Congress candidate in Uttara Kannada.

They were among the 14 Congress lawmakers who had defected to the BJP in 2019 along with three Janata Dal Secular colleagues, bringing down the JDS-Congress coalition helmed by H.D.
Kumaraswamy.

A BJP source who contended that every party would have “unhappy” leaders and ticket-seekers, however, admitted the open rebellion could hurt the party trying to repeat its 2019 performance of winning 25 of the 28 seats.

“All parties have such unhappy leaders. But our leaders should be careful not to dent the party’s image with such open rebellion,” said the functionary who cannot be named.

The Yediyurappa clan is back in control of the party after a long gap when the veteran leader was sidelined after being forced to resign as chief minister in 2021. However, he bounced back to take the reins by convincing the national leadership to appoint his younger son and heir apparent Vijayendra Yediyurappa as the state president in November following last year’s Assembly poll debacle.