BJP divided over MUDA Chief appointment

The nomination of corporator L Nagendra as the Chairman of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has left the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) district unit a divided house.

The displeasure in a section of the party was palpable when Nagendra took charge as the Chairman of the MUDA here on Thursday morning. The absence of many senior leaders, including District In-charge Minister S A Ramdas, BJP district unit president and MLC Siddaraju, Chairman of Mylac M V Ravishankar, strong contender for the same post and their followers lurked large on MUDA premises.

Opposition

Sources said that the nomination of Nagendra has not gone well with a section of the party. Minister S A Ramdas and MLC Siddaraju opposed the Government’s choice, while Ravishankar offered to resign from his post protesting against the nomination. However, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was firm on his choice in an attempt to assuage the Vokkaliga community.  BJP sources said senior Vokkaliga leaders in the party Home Minister R Ashoka, MP D B Chandregowda and former minister Ramachandre Gowda strongly backed Nagendra’s candidature asking the Chief Minister to regain the trust of Vokkaliga community on BJP, which is at all time low since Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat leader became CM and identified himself strongly with the Veerashaiva mutts.

Aggrieved

The nomination has also annoyed many other leaders who aspired to become the chairman of MUDA.  Among the prominent leader disappointed with the decision is Nandish Preetham, corporator and son of suspended BJP MLA H S Shankaralinge Gowda.

Preetham had remained  with the BJP and had opposed his father Shankaralinge Gowda’s move to join the rebel faction before his suspension.

Now, it would be interesting to watch the next move of Nandish Preetham. MLC Siddaraju was also among the contestant for the Chairman’s post, who is also known to have aggrieved with the nomination of Nagendra.