Bengaluru, Apr 28: The rift between Karnataka BJP leaders BS Yeddyurappa and KS Eshwarappa has widened sharply with the latter's camp urging the national leadership to resolve all internal differences wracking the party by May 10.
The key demand is to replace Yeddyurappa with Eshwarappa as the party's state unit president.
The demands were made at a 'save BJP' rally attended by two MLCs, three former MLAs and one former MLC, besides hundreds of party workers, at Bangalore Palace grounds. Eshwarappa is the opposition leader in the legislative council.
Badgered by allegations for months, Yeddyurappa accused the party's national joint general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh of engineering a revolt against him. "This is clear because legislator M Bhanuprakash and former MLA Nirmal Kumar Surana are close aides of Santhosh," he said. Santhosh said: "I've no reaction, the party will react."
Sources said Yeddyurappa apprised party national president Amit Shah and general secretary (Karnataka) Muralidhar Rao of Thursday's rally. A party leader said: "The meeting was videotaped, and the speeches made in Kannada were translated to Hindi and Gujarati, and sent to Amit Shah." The allegation that Santhosh was behind the dissidence against Yeddyurappa is said to have rattled the party leaders. He was the organizing secretary for Karnataka and almost mentored the BJP government in Karnataka in 2008. "Along the way, he nursed political ambitions," a source said.
Yeddyurappa will leave for Delhi on Friday for the Basava Jayanti celebrations to be inaugurated by PM Modi.The visit has nothing to do with dissidence gripping the party. In the 10 -point resolution passed at the rally, dissidents sought recast of the party office-bearers -a demand ignored by Yeddyurappa. Former minister Shivanna said he would hold another rally on May 20 if Yeddyurappa failed to meet their demands by May 10. Yeddyurappa's alleged dictatorial attitude came under attack by Eshwarappa.
Supporters of Eshwarappa who came in from districts said they have no qualms about Yeddyurappa being projected as CM candidate. "But Eshwarappa should be made chief of Karnataka unit to take all leaders together,'' said a worker from Haveri district.
Eshwarappa rejected Yeddyurappa's claim that BJP national leaders had warned him against the meeting."It's unfortunate those who had quit the party are now warning of action.How can a national general secretary issue such instructions without Amit Shah's consent? I feel our the leadership will take an appropriate decision," he said. The remarks referred to Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP and formed Karnataka Janata Paksha. Later, he returned to the BJP.
He added: "When Shah declared Yeddyurappa the party president, we were happy. But if you (BSY) act of your own accord, we won't sit quiet.You call us anti-party, but we won't formjoin other parties."
Comments
Add new comment