<p>BJP Yuva Morcha vice-president Bheemashankar Patil has shot off a letter to the party’s state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, warning him of dire political consequences if he continued to ignore Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in the party’s affairs.</p>.<p>This has brought to the fore a turf war between Yediyurappa and Kateel, who is backed by BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, Yediyurappa’s bete noire.</p>.<p>The letter condemned attempts in the party to sideline the chief minister and threatened that BJP workers in 13 districts of North Karnataka will be forced to resign en masse if Yediyurappa is not treated with regard in the party.</p>.<p>Prior to the stinging letter, there were signs of discord within party ranks after Kateel was surprisingly elevated as president of the BJP state unit. Following his appointment a few changes at the BJP headquarters had raised eyebrows.The appointment of two former legislators M B Bhanuprakash and Nirmal Kumar Surana - who had vocally criticised Yediyurappa in the past - as BJP vice presidents by Kateel, according to sources, triggered the scathing letter targeting ‘some leaders in the party’.</p>.<p>People have backed the BJP only because of Yediyurappa. “We are unhappy about some leaders in the party who have harassed him when he was state president and now when he is CM,” Patil said in his letter. “You have assumed the charge of state president recently. If the party decides to sideline Yediyurappa by listening to those individuals who have no qualifications, thousands of BJP workers in 13 districts of the state will have to offer mass resignations,” he said in the letter.</p>.<p>“There is a mentality within the BJP that Yediyurappa is needed to ensure the party’s electoral victory, but not after. You should forgo such notions,” Patil added.</p>.<p>According to party insiders, shadow boxing between Yediyurappa and Santhosh had led to several decisions made without taking the former into confidence. These include changing the office secretary at the BJP headquarters and ignoring demands of Yediyurappa loyalists to form a committee to pick a BBMP mayoral candidate.</p>
<p>BJP Yuva Morcha vice-president Bheemashankar Patil has shot off a letter to the party’s state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, warning him of dire political consequences if he continued to ignore Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in the party’s affairs.</p>.<p>This has brought to the fore a turf war between Yediyurappa and Kateel, who is backed by BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, Yediyurappa’s bete noire.</p>.<p>The letter condemned attempts in the party to sideline the chief minister and threatened that BJP workers in 13 districts of North Karnataka will be forced to resign en masse if Yediyurappa is not treated with regard in the party.</p>.<p>Prior to the stinging letter, there were signs of discord within party ranks after Kateel was surprisingly elevated as president of the BJP state unit. Following his appointment a few changes at the BJP headquarters had raised eyebrows.The appointment of two former legislators M B Bhanuprakash and Nirmal Kumar Surana - who had vocally criticised Yediyurappa in the past - as BJP vice presidents by Kateel, according to sources, triggered the scathing letter targeting ‘some leaders in the party’.</p>.<p>People have backed the BJP only because of Yediyurappa. “We are unhappy about some leaders in the party who have harassed him when he was state president and now when he is CM,” Patil said in his letter. “You have assumed the charge of state president recently. If the party decides to sideline Yediyurappa by listening to those individuals who have no qualifications, thousands of BJP workers in 13 districts of the state will have to offer mass resignations,” he said in the letter.</p>.<p>“There is a mentality within the BJP that Yediyurappa is needed to ensure the party’s electoral victory, but not after. You should forgo such notions,” Patil added.</p>.<p>According to party insiders, shadow boxing between Yediyurappa and Santhosh had led to several decisions made without taking the former into confidence. These include changing the office secretary at the BJP headquarters and ignoring demands of Yediyurappa loyalists to form a committee to pick a BBMP mayoral candidate.</p>
