JOIN USBSY loyalists seek emergency meeting of legislature party
The simmering crisis in the BJP deepened further on Wednesday with loyalists of the former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa writing to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to convene an emergency meeting of the BJP legislature party.
The legislators apparently have taken exception to a confidential letter written by Sadananda Gowda and BJP State President K S Eshwarappa to party National President Nitin Gadkari complaining that six ministers, all loyal to Yeddyurappa, were indulging in anti-party activities.
The legislators have sought that the issue along with “other important matters” merits to be discussed at the BJPLP.
The letter seeking the meeting has been signed by 19 legislators including ministers Umesh Katti and Revu Naik Belamagi. The other signatories include Belur Gopalkrishna, H Halappa and Sunil Vallyapur.
According to sources, the move by the legislators has been taken at the behest of Yeddyurappa, who till recently had been making relentless efforts to get himself reinstated as chief minister.
Sources in the Yeddyurappa camp said at the BJPLP they would confront Gowda and Eshwarappa and ask them to define the parameters that constitute “indiscipline.” They may also express their lack of confidence in the chief minister and seek election of a new BJPLP leader. Yeddyurappa camp is also said to have written to Gadkari accusing Gowda and Eshwarappa of taking “unilateral decisions.”
The move also comes at a time when the Supreme Court is poised to pronounce its order on the Central Empowered Committee’s recommendation for a CBI probe into Yeddyurappa’s alleged involvement in the mining scam.
Gowda has also plans to expand the State Cabinet in the coming days. In their letter to Gadkari, Gowda and Eshwarappa had named Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, Public Works Minister C M Udasi, Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, Excise Minister M P Renukacharya and Housing Minister V Somanna for making statements against the party leadership and had sought disciplinary action against them. Contents of the letter were published in a section of the press on Tuesday.
Sources in the Yeddyurappa camp said they would seek an answer from Eshwarappa on what action he had taken against Bellary MLAs who have identified themselves with independent legislator B Sriramulu.
They would also seek to know whether the action of more than 40 MLAs distancing themselves from the party leadership and shepherding themselves in resorts in Hyderabad at the behest of B Janardhana Reddy in October 2009 did not amount to indiscipline.
In case Gowda does not convene the BJPLP, the Yeddyurappa camp plans to make a beeline to New Delhi to take up the issue with the party central leadership. On his part, Sadananda Gowda told reporters that there was nothing wrong in writing to the national president on the internal issues of the party.
However, he refused to comment on legislators seeking an emergency BJPLP. A statement released on Wednesday evening by the chief minister’s Press Secretary stated: “The CM has not received any letter from MLAs. (CM) not to react today. If necessary will react tomorrow”.