BJP Karnataka president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday launched a sharp counter-attack against the Indian National Congress over its criticism of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, questioning the party's credibility to comment on coalition politics. The remarks came in direct response to AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, who had called the reported denial of a Rajya Sabha nomination to former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda politically 'astonishing and eye-opening.'

Vijayendra's Core Charge

Vijayendra argued that the Congress had no standing to lecture other parties on alliance ethics, alleging the party had itself celebrated the defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi despite being part of a shared alliance arrangement with it. He claimed that celebrations at Congress offices were, in some instances, more enthusiastic than those at BJP headquarters — a charge the Congress has not publicly addressed.

He further alleged that the Congress had pivoted its Tamil Nadu alignments — shifting from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to the TVK overnight — reportedly to secure ministerial positions, citing this as evidence of opportunistic alliance behaviour.

The Deve Gowda Question

On the central issue of H.D. Deve Gowda's reported exclusion from Rajya Sabha consideration, Vijayendra said the most credible account should come from Deve Gowda himself. He urged Surjewala to read the former Prime Minister's open letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in which Deve Gowda reportedly detailed his experience of the Congress party's conduct toward him and the Janata Dal (Secular).

Vijayendra also referenced the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, citing statements attributed to MLA Rajanna as an account of the circumstances under which Deve Gowda lost his seat — implying Congress complicity in that outcome.

Historical Grievances Invoked

Broadening his attack, Vijayendra advised Surjewala to study the Congress party's own record in Karnataka, alleging that senior leaders including former Chief Ministers Devaraj Urs and Veerendra Patil had been mistreated by the party in the past. The invocation of these names was a pointed attempt to frame the Congress's current criticism as historically inconsistent.

Referring to the INDIA bloc, Vijayendra said the opposition alliance was named after the country despite what he described as a history of divisive politics within the Congress, adding that its constituent partners should have been aware of the party's track record.

Kumaraswamy Joins the Attack

Vijayendra was not alone in his pushback. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy earlier in the day also criticised Congress leaders over the Deve Gowda nomination row, labelling Surjewala a 'wasooliwala' — a term implying someone who extracts rather than contributes. The coordinated response from both BJP and JD(S) leaders signals a united front within the NDA against the Congress offensive.

Congress's Original Criticism

The exchange was triggered by Surjewala's remarks earlier on Monday, in which he described the BJP-JD(S) leadership's reported decision to bypass Deve Gowda for a Rajya Sabha seat as an insult to the people of Karnataka. Vijayendra countered by urging the Congress-led state government to focus on resolving its own internal disputes over Cabinet positions and portfolios, alleging that factional infighting was affecting governance in the state.

With Karnataka's political temperature rising ahead of future electoral cycles, this war of words over alliance ethics is likely to intensify as both sides seek to define the terms of credibility on coalition politics.