Janardhana Reddy, one among the Reddy troika who has raised the revolt banner against Yeddyurappa, flew here from Bangalore on a special flight on Monday morning and met Jaitley and Ananth Kumar at the latter’s residence.
It was at this meeting that Reddy placed his group’s long list of demands, including a change of guard. After the meeting, Jaitley and Ananth Kumar told reporters they gave Reddy a patient hearing.
“We heard him (Reddy) seriously. The central leadership will meet this evening and discuss the issue based on his views,” Jaitley said.
He said all MLAs and ministers expressed their views and the assessment arrived at will be presented at the evening meeting. Jaitley dismissed media reports that Ananth Kumar fuelled the dissidence.
“The reports are completely baseless. Ananth Kumar is party general secretary and a senior leader and it is his job to meet leaders of Karnataka. He has met them separately also,” Jaitley told reporters.
Emerging from the meeting, Janardhana Reddy said he had conveyed his view about the Yeddyurappa-led Government to the central leadership. “In the interest of the party and the people we have requested the central leadership to provide better leadership to Karnataka,” he said.
However, he refused to divulge whether he sought better leadership from Yeddyurappa or a new leader.
Reddy said he had “100 per cent hope” the party high command will “provide a very good leader in the interest of Karnataka” and every BJP member in the state.
