Leadership issue dogs BJP, Cong
Dissidence in ruling party heading towards breaking point
Leadership issue is haunting both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in the State. While the BJP is finding it tough to handle former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is trying his best to get back the post he lost to D V Sadananda Gowda, factions within the Congress have weakened the party.
Yeddyurappa and his followers are said to be working on a plan to ensure that a BJP legislature party meeting is convened either before or on January 30, the day the legislature session begins, and move a resolution endorsing Yeddyurappa as the legislature party leader.
This means that Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda will have to make way for Yeddyurappa. In case this can’t be achieved, then they are working out strategies to ensure that Gowda is ousted before the presentation of the State budget for the coming fiscal.
On the other hand, BJP legislators including ministers who are opposing Yeddyurappa, do not want the BJPLP to be convened till the legislature session concludes. A series of programmes including training sessions have been planned for the legislators. This camp also has the support of the RSS, it is said.
It is an open secret that the BJP is bogged down by internal fights. Sadananda Gowda
himself has confessed that leadership is still an unresolved issue. Yeddyurappa has categorically stated that he is not a sanyasi (saint) to renounce everything.
He has said he is nurturing the ambition of becoming chief minister again. At the same time he has made it clear that it is up to the Central leaders to decide as to when to make him the chief minister.There is no bonhomie left between Yeddyurappa and State BJP President K S Eshwarappa. Both are treading parallel paths while claiming that all is well with the party.
Rebellion in Cong
When it comes to the Congress, the leadership ability of KPCC President G Parameshwara is being questioned with the party losing one by-election after another.
A handful of the MLAs including Malikayya Guttedar and B C Patil have openly rebelled against the party and they are preparing the ground to join the NCP. They may not immediately walk out of the Congress, but their utterances against the party only show that all is not well within the party.
Has KPCC President G Parameshwara been asked to vacate the post to make way for either S M Krishna or Mallikarjun Kharge? When Deccan Herald contacted Parameshwara, he said: “I want to continue as the president. The high command has asked me to shortlist candidates for the next Assembly elections. So where is the question of changing the leadership? Till the elections are held to the Assembly, I am going to be the president.”
He rubbished reports in the media that he may lose the post as baseless.
There were rumours that Siddaramaiah too would quit the party and may join the JD (United). There are also rumours that the Congress high command has asked him to rush back. It is a fact that Siddaramaiah has cut short his trip to Australia and come back to Bangalore.
But sources close to him said that his return has nothing to do with political developments. He has come back due to health reasons, it is said.
Parameshwara also said that Siddaramaiah has no plans to quit the Congress. “Probably he is coming back due to health reasons. He was scheduled to return on January 29,” he said.
SMK rules out return to State politics
Union Minister for External Affairs S M Krishna has ruled out returning to the State politics, reports DHNS from Tumkur.
Speaking to reporters at Sira, Krishna said he had been given a responsible position in the Union Cabinet and he would focus his attention towards discharging his duties there.
Krishna said the question of replacing G Parameshwara as the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee had not arisen.
“Parameshwara has been functioning ably and he won’t be disturbed. We all will lend him the requisite support,” he said.
The minister was in Sira to take part in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the project to supply Hemavati water to Madalur tank in the taluk.
