BJP top brass snubs Yeddyurappa

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership on Sunday rejected the B S Yeddyurappa’s demand for replacing Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and maintained that the current crisis in its Karnataka unit and its government in the State could be resolved in a day or two.

Top sources in the party told Deccan Herald that the Central leaders have advised Gowda to talk to warring factions led by Yeddyurappa immediately and address the issues raised by them. Gowda will return to Bangalore on Monday morning and will hold talks with Yeddyurappa and others. The party leaders also sent the same message to State unit president K S Eshwarappa. The party leaders told the chief minister that they back him strongly and asked him to return to Bangalore and consult with all the factions.

Claiming that the current revolt by a faction led by Yeddyurappa was a mere pressure on the central leadership to back him in the event of the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe against him, sources said “ the crisis would die down in a day or two. The party is ready to discuss any demands placed by the Yeddyurappa faction but no question of changing incumbent chief miinister.” 

Refusing to give much importance to Yeddyurappa’s praising Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP sources said: “It was a just another pressure tactics played by the Lingayat leader to send message to the BJP that he is willing to join the Congress. But it will never happen. The latest revolt by Yeddyurappa and his camp was to keep his flock together and ensure none of his followers should be dropped from the cabinet.”

Gowda, who came to attend the 60th anniversary of the Indian Parliament, met party president Nitin Gadkari and other senior leaders here to discuss the new developments and the future course of action.

In a meeting lasting over an hour, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, party in charge of Karnataka affairs Dharmendra Pradhan and General Secretary Ananth Kumar were present.

The central leaders are learnt to have told Gowda that, despite their strong backing, he had failed to quell the dissidence in the party and the government.

Claiming that some of the issues raised by Yeddyurappa camp were valid, a senior leader in the party said that the chief minister should have addressed it immediately. Jaitely spoke to Yeddyurappa over the phone and requested him not to violate party discipline.