Gadkari to meet State leaders today

Senior leader Arun Jaitley, who has been asked to “devote special attention to the BJP’s Karnataka affairs,” and newly appointed party general secretary in charge of the State Dharmendra Pradhan will accompany Gadkari.

According to BJP sources, Gadkari is keen to interact with legislators to get their feedback on the central leadership’s decision to allow B S Yeddyurappa to continue as the chief minister in spite of his alleged involvement in land scams.

The political situation in the State, the strategies being adopted by the Opposition and preparations for the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections will also be discussed, the sources added.

A meeting with State ministers is scheduled for the afternoon, including a one-on-one interaction with a few of them, with the BJP legislature party meeting planned in the evening. All the meetings will be held at a resort on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Meanwhile, the BJP has constituted divisional election management committees ahead of the ZP/TP polls. Eleven conventions will be held over the next seven days in preparation for the polls. The first such convention was held in Bangalore on Monday. Party workers from Ramanagara, Bangalore rural, Kolar, Bangalore Urban and Chikaballapur participated in the meeting.

Although Jaitley refused to elaborate on his future course of action, party sources said he has been asked to sort out the problems in the State using his “authority” and “legal acumen.”

This is for the first time that a senior leader has been appointed above the general secretary to look into the problems in a State.