Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that former Karnataka chief minister B. S. Yediyurappa “proved wrong all those who declared that the BJP will never form a government in South India,” during a large public event in Chitradurga on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The gathering, organised as the “BSY Abhimanotsava,” marked five decades of Yediyurappa’s political career and drew lakhs of party workers, supporters and local residents to the central Karnataka town. Party leaders described the event as one of the biggest political programmes held in the state in recent times, with heavy security and elaborate arrangements in place along the main routes leading into Chitradurga.

Speaking before thousands of people, Amit Shah credited Yediyurappa with laying the foundation for the BJP’s rise in Karnataka and helping break the notion that the party could not establish a foothold in southern India. He recalled that Yediyurappa led the BJP to its first state government in the south, which became a turning point for the party’s ambitions in the region. Shah also highlighted Yediyurappa’s role in expanding the BJP’s organisational base among farmers, backward classes and other sections of society, portraying him as a leader who worked across caste and community lines.

Shah further said that Yediyurappa had united pontiffs and spiritual leaders from various religious sects and brought them together under a common political and social platform. He pointed to the presence of representatives from several mutts and religious groups at the Chitradurga event, presenting it as evidence of the former chief minister’s ability to build bridges across religious and spiritual communities. The home minister’s remarks were aimed at projecting a narrative of social harmony and unity, even as the BJP focuses on consolidating its Hindu‑majority support base in Karnataka.

The “Abhimanotsava” in Chitradurga was conceived as both a tribute to Yediyurappa’s long political journey and a show of strength for the BJP ahead of upcoming elections. Party sources had earlier said the programme was expected to draw up to ten lakh people, with special trains, additional buses and temporary arrangements for water, sanitation and medical aid put in place. Large saffron flags and banners dominated the town as the BJP tried to project a message of consolidation around the senior leader’s legacy.

Amit Shah’s visit also came at a time when the BJP is seeking to maintain unity within its Karnataka unit after years of internal tensions. By placing Yediyurappa at the centre of the event and openly praising his contributions, the home minister sought to reinforce the former chief minister’s importance within the party’s southern narrative. The gathering served as a platform for the BJP to project continuity, stability and a sense of historic achievement, while signalling its intent to remain a dominant political force in Karnataka and in the wider south of India.

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Amit Shah in Chitradurga: Yediyurappa proved wrong those who said BJP will never rule South India