JOIN USBJP MLAs queue up to meet Arun Singh
As many as 30 legislators met BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in Karnataka, on Thursday. He gathered views from across the board on the administration and disgruntlement.
Talks of Cabinet reshuffle surfaced following these meetings as several MLAs are said to have petitioned Singh to ensure “social justice” in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s Cabinet.
After his meeting with Singh, Social Welfare Minister B Sriramulu said he was confident that the party will take “the right decision at the right time” on making him deputy chief minister. This was in response to MLA Somashekhar Reddy’s demand that Sriramulu should be made deputy CM.
Singh is learnt to have denied an appointment to disgruntled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. He was asked to meet Singh in Delhi, sources said.
Meanwhile, another disgruntled leader AH Vishwanath, an MLC, met Singh and demanded Yediyurappa’s ouster. Vishwanath recommended appointing someone from the Panchamasali Lingayat community as CM. Vishwanath, who is sulking that he was not made a minister, also claimed that he submitted documents of alleged corruption by Yediyurappa and his son BY Vijayendra, who is also BJP vice-president.
Legislators from North Karnataka such as AS Patil Nadahalli are learnt to have urged Singh to provide representation for their region in the Cabinet.
The party’s national general secretary CT Ravi told reporters that all these issues will be discussed in the BJP core committee meeting scheduled on Friday.
Disgruntled Tourism Minister CP Yogeeshwar also met Singh. Other leaders who met Singh include ministers Kota Srinivas Poojary, Shashikala Jolle, Umesh Katti, and MLAs Muniratna, Roopali Nayak, Kumar Bangarappa, Harish Poonja and Masale Jayaram among others.