JOIN USYeddyurappa may dominate BJP core panel meet today
The State BJP core committee will meet in the City on Saturday, with members divided over getting former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa back into the party fold.
The BJP General Secretary and party in-charge of Karnataka, Thawarchand Gehlot will also attend the meeting. While several organisational matters are scheduled to be discussed at the core committee meeting, the issue of bringing Yeddyurappa back to the party is likely to dominate the agenda. Gehlot has been entrusted with conveying the mood in the party over the Yeddyurappa issue and the deliberations at the core committee meeting to the party’s central leadership.
There are many members in the core committee who are against bringing back Yeddyurappa to the BJP, such as Ananth Kumar, K S Eshwarappa, R Ashoka, Govinda Karjol, party state president Pralhad Joshi and general secretary (organisation) Santhosh.
These members, it is learnt, plan to oppose Yeddyurappa’s return, if former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who has been leading the “woo-Yeddyurappa” campaign, raises the issue at the meeting.
The anti-Yeddyurappa group is of the opinion that bringing back the former chief minister would do more damage to the party primarily due to the corruption charges against him. If at all Yeddyurappa comes back to the BJP, then conditions should be imposed that he would not occupy any prime post until he is absolved of the charges against him.
The pro-Yeddyurappa group led by Sadananda Gowda has the support of former ministers Basavaraj Bommai, Umesh Katti, Murgesh Nirani, Aravind Limbavali, D N Jeevaraj and former speaker K G Bopaiah. However, Gowda is the only member of the core committee among them. Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar has taken a neutral stand.
Sensing that they are a minority in the core committee, the group, which is of the opinion that Yeddyurappa’s return would boost BJP’s prospects in the Lok Sabha polls, has sought that a legislature party meeting be convened soon to elicit views of legislators.
On his part, Yeddyurappa on Friday said he was not concerned about what’s happening in the BJP. “I will continue to build the KJP. There is no question of a merger with the BJP. What is happening in the BJP has got nothing to do with me,” he told reporters in Bangalore.
Replying to another query,Yeddyurappa said he was open to an electoral alliance for Lok Sabha polls. On whether he would tie up with the BJP, the KJP leader evaded a direct reply. “There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics,” he said.
Sources close to Yeddyurappa said he would take a decision on his political future only after the Lok Sabha elections are announced. He would agree to return to the party if there are indications that the NDA would come to power at the Centre, the sources said.
Speaking to reporters, MP for Bangalore North D B Chandre Gowda insisted that it was a matter of time before Yeddyurappa returns to the BJP. The central leadership, including L K Advani, has no objection to his return, he claimed.
Chandre Gowda is said to be in constant touch with Yeddyurappa and is likely to mediate between the former chief minister and the BJP in the coming days.