BJP top brass refuses to meet Karnataka tourism minister C P Yogeshwar, MLA Arvind Bellad

BJP top brass on Wednesday warned Karnataka tourism minister C P Yogeshwar and Hubballi-Dharwad West MLA Arvind Bellad not to come to the national capital to pressurise the top brass to unseat Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

Despite repeated attempts, BJP National President J P Nadda and National General Secretary (Karnataka in-charge) Arun Singh refused to meet both the leaders. After waiting for two days in Delhi, Yogeshwar and Bellad left for Bengaluru on Wednesday, sources said.

The party's top brass also communicated to both the leaders to not bring any MLAs to Delhi to pressurise the leadership to remove the CM, sources revealed.

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"The party is aware of every development in Karnataka. It will take the right decision at right time, including changing Chief Minister," said a leader, adding that the same has been communicated to the two MLAs.

The party through state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel communicated to these two leaders to instead focus on controlling the spread of Covid-19 in their respective constituencies.

Both the Centre and state government are busy fighting against Covid-19. At this juncture, leaders coming to Delhi to do political activities will not be tolerated, said the leader, adding that "lobbying is not BJP culture."

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This is the second time in the last 15 days that both Yogeshwar and Bellad have come to Delhi to pressurise the high command to remove Yediyurappa.

During their first meeting with the party top brass, they complained against Yediyurappa for handing over land to JSW in Bellary. Yediyurappa, however, defended the decision saying it was done as per the Karnataka High Court order.

Sources said that Yogeshwar and Bellad were also pressurising the party top brass to make Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi the Chief Minister. Bellad is learnt to have been lobbying for the deputy chief minister post.