Who'll have the last laugh ?
After making a tactical withdrawal and deciding not to resign from the BJP, former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday sent his emissaries to Delhi for a meeting with the party top brass.
Sources said the purpose was to assuage the feelings of party leaders after BSY’s vituperative attack on his rivals—CM Sadananda Gowda, party chief Eshwarappa and BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar. They will also be pleading with party bosses to stop any further humiliation of BSY in the party and ensure his supporters their due when the state Cabinet is expanded.
Sources close to the former CM told this newspaper: “We are not sure if the central leadership will be able to do anything at this stage with the situation reaching a point of no return. Like the Karnataka BJP, there are groups at the national level too. Even if the party national president wants to set things right, other leaders are sure to obstruct his attempts”, the sources said.
On Tuesday, BSY loyalists—water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai, housing minister V. Somanna, MLC Lehar Singh and energy minister Shobha Karandlaje— held talks with Central leaders Arun Jaitley and Ram Lal on the crisis in the party. During the meeting, the BSY team explained to them the reasons for the former CM’s outburst against party general secretary Ananth Kumar, the CM and party president Eshwarappa.
Central leaders heard the emissaries but did not give them any specific assurance, said sources. They have reportedly asked BSY loyalists to ensure their leader does not cross the limits and refrains from making statements against party leaders. “We will definitely look into the situation in Karnataka and consider the demands of BSY”, the leaders told the BSY team.
Sources however said that the BJP leadership has no solution for the problems in the state BJP which would make the exit of the former CM inevitable. Meanwhile the Jarkiholi camp, sensing that BSY’s support base has dwindled, is pressing for Cabinet expansion. The campaign for this is being led by municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarkiholi and science and technology minister Anand Asnotikar.
The Jarkiholi group was supposed to leave for Goa to convey their displeasure over the delay in Cabinet expansion but have decided against it after the CM requested them not to precipitate matters.
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