Jaitley to consult State leaders today

 BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley, who is scheduled to visit Bangalore on Friday evening, will consult all leaders before taking any decision on selecting the successor of state unit president K S Eshwarappa.

It was learnt that Jaitley personally called many state senior leaders and requested them come to Bangalore for discussion on selecting the leader, who can lead the party in the coming assembly polls.

Though Dharwad MP Prahalad Joshi, Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda were front-runners for the post, the party wanted to take views from all sections before taking any decision, sources in the party said.

Despite the central leadership earlier promising Eshwarappa to select his successor after the urban local bodies polls, his sudden resignation announcement came as surprise, said a senior leader from the party adding that “we expected he should have continue to till the results of the local bodies polls were out and make way for new leader smoothly.”

Apprehending that heading party at this juncture is a burden as it’s image is getting a beating, Eshwarappa has been insisting the central leadership to relieve him from the responsibility, said the leader.