BJP chief: BSY, DVS or dark horse?

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With the tussle over the Chief Minister’s post over, a battle has begun between two former CMs— D.V. Sadananda Gowda and B.S. Yeddyurappa—for the powerful post of BJP state president. The BJP chief could play the crucial role in candidate selection in the 2013 Assembly polls which explains why the bigwig are so interested. Mr Sadananda Gowda even made a hurried trip to New Delhi in his quest for the job but has not yet received a concrete assurance.

The reasons are not hard to find. The party top brass knows that Mr Gowda and Mr Yeddyurappa are no longer on good terms after BSY ensured DVS’ exit from the CM post. Knowing the clout BSY enjoys in state politics and in the majority Lingayat community, the party is wary of making someone not in his good books state chief with polls hardly 10 months away. Nor is BSY sitting quiet. On realising that Mr Gowda is trying to grab the top job, has drafted his loyalists in the Jagadish Shettar cabinet to make sure the former CM does not succeed. "If Mr Sadananda Gowda wants to become party president, why not BSY? He could be a better president considering his vast experience and immense popularity," a minister said.

Realising that getting the prime post is not going to be easy, Mr Gowda is planning a meeting with his loyalists soon after his return from New Delhi. A MLA close to him said some ministers and MLAs may visit New Delhi in batches to lobby on behalf of DVS. “Everything depends on what transpired between Mr Sadananda Gowda and party president, Nitin Gadkari,” the sources added. The BSY camp is unlikely to lobby in Delhi. “Sitting here in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa can make central leaders dance to his diktats,” reasoned a source. There is a possibility of the party picking a neutral leader. "The names of BJP MPs Ananth Kumar and Prahlad Joshi are doing the rounds but BJP may go for a dark horse," the sources added.