More join ‘Bring back Yeddyurappa campaign’

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Bengaluru: The ‘Bring back BSY’ campaign gained momentum on Thursday with several senior BJP leaders holding a closed-door meeting under the leadership of former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Bengaluru North BJP MP D.B. Chandre Gowda.
 
Former Speaker K.G. Bopaiah, former ministers Umesh Katti, Aravind Limbavali, Basavaraj Bommai, Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar Kore, MLCs G. Madhusudhan, Mahantesh Kavatgimat, Chitradurga MP Janardhanswamy and other leaders were reportedly present at the meeting.
 
Sadananda Gowda who is leading the campaign, was able to get the support of more than 15 BJP leaders for the initiative to bring back the former CM to the party.  Though BJP state president Prahlad Joshi and party Karnataka in-charge Thawar Chand Gehlot had personally requested the leaders not to attend the meeting at Mr Chandregowda’s residence, Bengaluru South MP P.C. Mohan was only one who obliged the leaders’ request and stayed away, BJP sources said.
 
The meeting has left the party state leadership worried. Reason: From the initial three members, the Bring back BSY campaign has now gathered more adherents. Fence-sitters in the party have also pledged their support in favour of Yeddyurappa.
 
Once the confusion over the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate is over, state leaders would lead a delegation to Delhi to exert pressure on the central leadership, sources close to Sadananda Gowda told this newspaper. The leaders also felt that to take the ‘Bring back BSY campaign’ to a logical end, it needed more legislators for support. 

 
 
BJP issues gag order to cadre on BSY

 
The state BJP has issued a gag order to its cadre on issuing statements requesting the party leadership to bring back former Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa. Party president Prahlad Joshi categorically told  second-rung leaders not to issue any statement in favour of the former CM backing his reentry into the BJP. 
 
The party has taken serious note of the statements issued by party leaders in favour of Mr Yeddyurappa and has referred them to the disciplinary committee for further action.
 
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, party general secretary, Raghunath Malkapure said that if any leader urged the leadership to admit B.S.Yeddyurappa, the party would take disciplinary action against those leaders. 
He also made it clear that the party will not enter into a pre-poll alliance with any party in Karnataka including Karnataka Janatha Party.
 
However, a second rung leader said: “The BJP state leadership has no authority to restrain us from making statements in the interests of the party. We are requesting the leadership to take back Yeddyurappa”.