Pressure mounts on CM to remove Somanna, Sudhakar

However, final decision will be taken only after consulting the party high command, says BJP State chief

At the office-bearers meeting held in Bangalore in the absence of the chief minister and party National General Secretary Ananth Kumar there was a consensus that both the ministers should tender their resignation on moral grounds.

After consultation

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, party State President D V Sadananda Gowda said a final decision would be taken after consulting the party high command within the next two days. Four-time legislator Somanna, who quit his Assembly seat to join the BJP, suffered defeat at the hands of young-turk Priya Krishna in the Govindrajnagar bypolls. Social Welfare Minister Sudhakar is in the dock following CBI filing charge sheet against him in a bank housing loan fraud case.

 A section of senior ministers in the party even held a meeting in Bangalore, on Tuesday, to mobilise support for Somanna’s ouster. They are against his continuation in the Cabinet by being nominated to the Council even after being rejected by the electorate. Such a move would set a bad precedent and open a pandora’s box, they felt.

At the same time Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is said to be in a dilemma on the issue, as several mutt heads had reportedly urged him to retain Somanna in the ministry.

However, any move to nominate Somanna by seeking a MLC’s resignation is likely to be met with stiff resistance by the BJP cadre. Meanwhile, the party has decided to drop Sudhakar from the Cabinet. “It is only a matter of time,” a party source said.

CM absent

Interestingly, the chief minister did not attend the office-bearers meeting. He chose to fly to Bidar on a chartered flight with some of his cabinet colleagues enroute to Gulbarga, on Wednesday afternoon.

Ananth Kumar also could not attend the meeting as he was preoccupied with party developments in New Delhi.

The office-bearers meeting also analysed the results of the recent bypolls in five Assembly constituencies and took stock of the political situation in the State.