Tread cautiously with reservation issue: BJP top brass tells Karnataka party leaders

With several castes demanding reservation in government jobs and education or seeking higher quotas in Karnataka, the BJP party high command has cautioned the state leaders in taking a stand on these issues.

Apprehending that reservation issues may harm the BJP vote bank, the saffron party asked state leaders not to wade into the issue.

The BJP already sought a view from Yediyurappa on the issue and asked him not to take any decision without consulting them.

The party top brass, who summoned Basangouda Patil Yatnal a couple of days ago to Delhi to rebuke him for publicly criticising Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his family members, also asked him not to engage actively in the issue.

Yatnal BJP MLA from Vijayapura, who was actively participating in Panchamasali Lingayats rallies, was told by the party that he should not harm the organisation by too much engaging in the issue, sources said in the party said.

Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani, who was summoned by Home Minister Amit Shah a couple of days back, also told to tread cautiously on the issue.

Nirani, an influential Panchamasali leader, explained his view on community leaders demand to Amit Shah during his visit to National Capital, sources said.

The party top brass closely monitoring the massive rallies held in various parts of Karnataka by different castes on reservation issue for the past few weeks. Since Lingayats are considered as BJP strong vote bank in the state, the saffron party don't want any division within the community on reservation issue, said a BJP leader.

The BJP leaders are in the view that the previous Congress government's misadventure to grant a separate religion tag to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community has boomeranged the party as Congress lost heavily in the last assembly polls. The BJP should learn the lesson from Congress and should not face a similar situation, said a leader.

Earlier, the party central leadership forced Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to put on hold his decision to recommend granting other backward classes (OBC) status to the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

Separately, BJP top brass also asked Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Tourism Minister C P Yogeshwar not to hold any separate meetings with party MLAs to avoid any speculation for dissident activities.

Both the leaders were told that any meetings they want to hold, should be within the party forum only. The party told them that their recent meetings with some MLAs were lead to unwanted media speculations about the government and leadership.

Since the BJP eyes winning Belagavi Lok Sabha, Basavakalyana and Maski Assembly segments bypolls, the party also asked these leaders to work unitedly without giving any scope for differences.