BSY placates sulking leaders
Bengaluru, Apr 23 (DHNS): BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday withdrew show-cause notices issued to two party functionaries in an effort to placate disgruntled leaders who are unhappy with his style of functioning.
The show-cause notices served on leaders Sogadu Shivanna and M B Nandeesh have been withdrawn. In addition, he issued directions to Bengaluru unit city president P N Sadashiva to revoke the suspension of former Bengaluru city mayor D Venkatesh Murthy. Disgruntled leaders, including Shivanna, Nandeesh and Murthy, had planned to file a complaint against Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning with the party central leaders after holding a meeting in Bengaluru on April 27.
The leaders, who have the indirect support of former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa, have objected to Yeddyurappa’s “unilateral decisions” in appointing party office-bearers and other functionaries. BJP vice president M B Bhanuprakash, who heads the disgruntled faction, welcomed Yeddyurappa’s move. “It is a belated decision. We will go ahead with the April 27 meeting to decide our next course of action,” he said.
At the same time, some senior BJP leaders are unhappy that they have not been intimated about a meeting convened by Yeddyurappa on Sunday to “introspect” on the party’s performance in the Gundlupet and Nanjangud bypolls. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the BJP office in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. BJP candidates lost in both the constituencies.
According to sources in Yeddyurappa’s office, only those who actively participated in the bypoll campaign have been asked to attend the meeting. BJP general secretary Shobha Karandlaje, Aravind Limbavali and former minister V Somanna will attend the meeting. Union Minister Ananth Kumar is also expected to be present. However, as it is an introspection meeting, all seniors leaders could have been invited and the results discussed threadbare, opined a section of the party. Collective feedback could have been given to the party central leadership, a senior leader said.