State BJP divided between DVS, BSY

Is former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa becoming isolated within the party or is D V Sadananda Gowda asserting himself as the chief minister?

For these questions, two diametrically opposite responses emerge from the pro-Yeddyurappa and anti-Yeddyurappa camps.

While one camp say Yeddyurappa is feeling let down by his own supporters who are now in the Gowda cabinet, the other camp say the former chief minister is still calling the shots, which is making Gowda’s functioning difficult.

Gowda on Tuesday morning held a meeting with some members of the party’s core committee and explained the constraints he is faced with. He also briefed them about the issues he would discuss with the party’s central leadership during his two-day visit to Delhi.

He also told his ministerial colleagues that frequent statements made by Yeddyurappa may lead to more doubts about the stability of the government. Sadananda Gowda is keen on expanding the Cabinet by filling four to five of the seven vacant berths. Yeddyurappa would like to have his own choice of MLAs become ministers, but Gowda has left it to the central leadership, it is said.

Yeddyurappa enjoys the loyalty of a minimum of eight ministers including Basavaraj Bommai, Shobha Karandlaje, C M Udasi, Umesh Katti, Murgesh Nirani, Siddu Savadi and V Somanna. He has allegedly brought pressure on these eight to take up his cause with the party leaders.

Sources close to Yeddyurappa said he is not averse to quitting the party and joining hands with the NCP in case his demand is not met by January 15. The Congress may also support the NCP in the next elections. But the anti-Yeddyurappa camp pointed out that the BJP without Yeddyurappa and his supporters also may survive in case the JD(S) extends support.