BSY attacks central leadership at party meet

Yeddyurappa reportedly said that it was because of his efforts that the party could send 19 Lok Sabha members from the State. However, the central leadership chose not  to give him time to prove his innocence, Yeddyurappa said. An office bearer, however, denied the former chief minister being critical of the leadership.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was overcome with emotion while reflecting about former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Gowda recollected his meeting with Vajpayee in New Delhi and the former prime minister’s advice to take the party forward unitedly that had been built by lakhs of party workers “with their sweat and blood”.

“Suddenly, Gowda’s voice was choked with emotion as he told us all to follow Vajpayee’s advice. It was a surprise to see the ever-smiling Gowda in tears,” an office-bearer said.

Gowda has been under stress ever since be became chief minister. He has to take everyone along in the faction-ridden party. Gowda has to face the combined rival camp of K S Eshwarappa, Ananth Kumar and Jagadish Shettar at the legislature party. At a time when Gowda was settling down, the Yeddyurappa camp demanded that he head the campaign for the Koppal bypoll. Also, former minister Sriramulu resigned from the Assembly as a pressure tactic for a Cabinet berth.

State BJP spokesperson Ayanur Manjunath said the meeting deliberated on the preparations for the bypoll and also held preliminary discussions on next year’s polls to the Legislative Council from the teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies.