JOIN USA section of legislators at the BJP Legislature Party meeting held here on Monday is learnt to have stepped up pressure on party senior leaders to work towards bringing back KJP President B S Yeddyurappa into the party fold.
The legislators are learnt to have pointed out that Yeddyurappa’s statement on the floor of the House during the ongoing legislature session that he was trying to put together a grand alliance of opposition parties to take on the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls was an indication that he wanted to come back to the BJP.
Legislators K G Bopaiah, Basavaraj Bommai, D N Jeevaraj, G Madhusudhan among others told the leaders on the dais that it was time they stepped up action and bring the former chief minister back to the party. They said the leaders should take up the issue with the BJP central leadership immediately and create a platform for the re-entry of Yeddyurappa.
The leaders on the dais including State unit president Pralhad Joshi, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, national general secretary Ananth Kumar heard the legislators but did not respond.
Lok Sabha byelections
Later, at the core committee meeting, the party shortlisted the candidatures of MLC Ashwathnarayana and C A Ashwin for the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency and former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, party oldtimer Shankaregowda and Yuva Morcha Vice-President Tulasi Muniraju for the Bangalore (Rural) Lok Sabha constituency.
Candidates will be finalised in a day or two, Joshi said
The Congress and the JD(S) are yet to finalise their candidates for the two constituencies. The Congress is likely to finalise its candidates after consulting AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on August 2.