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Cast in a different mould

Last Updated 19 March 2012, 20:26 IST

The Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Balagangadharanatha Swami’s open support to D V Sadananda Gowda seems to have triggered a Vokkaliga consolidation in the BJP.

A group of MLAs from Bangalore led by Home Minister R Ashoka held a meeting on Monday and decided to remain neutral. A majority of these legislators are Vokkaligas.

These MLAs had identified with the Yeddyurappa camp till Sunday. Ashoka and other Bangalore city MLAs close to him had attended a meeting convened by Yeddyurappa at his residence. They had also taken part in a convention organised by his loyalists in Hubli recently.

On Monday, they suddenly changed their stand and declared their loyalty to the party. They also decided not to go to the resort on the outskirts of Bangalore where the pro-Yeddyurappa MLAs are staying.

“We are loyal to the party and will stick to any decision it takes,” Ashoka told reporters after the meeting.

The Adichunchanagiri Mutt has a strong influence in Bangalore, where Vokkaligas form a dominant community. The Yeddyurappa camp, which has a large number of legislators belonging to Lingayat community, is seen as Lingayat consolidation. Ashoka and his followers, therefore, decided not to openly identify with Yeddyurappa. Along with Vokkaliga MLAs, other Bangalore MLAs who are against Yeddyurappa and who belong to other communities, also took part in the meeting held at Ashoka’s office in Vidhana Soudha.

Bangalore North MP D B Chandre Gowda too seems to have changed his loyalty. He openly disagreed with the resort politics of Yeddyurappa and said it is not proper to arm-twist the party at the time of presentation of the budget.
DH News Service

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(Published 19 March 2012, 20:26 IST)

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