Fearing that any further delay on the leadership issue might deepen the crisis in the state BJP, the party central leadership may come up with a solution in the first week of April. Soon after the budget session, party senior leader Arun Jaitly and party Karnataka in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan are likely to arrive and elicit the opinion of party MLAs on a one-to-one basis. This is the only option left to sort out the crisis, said a highly placed source in the BJP.
Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda himself is a worried man as the internal bickering has prevented him from taking crucial measures including expanding his Cabinet. He has told the leadership in unequivocal terms during his recent visit to Delhi that if they want him to remain CM, they will have to send a clear message to party MLAs or else make a change, sources said. The CM is reluctant to undertake a Cabinet expansion at a time when the party is divided into two factions led by Mr Sadananda Gowda and former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa. He feels the factionalism is affecting developmental works in the state. To add to his worries, ministers and MLAs loyal to the former CM have not been co-operating with him, sources said.