Bengaluru: There is hectic lobbying among state leaders to join the team of new BJP national president Amit Shah. Among state leaders, Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali is the front-runner to join the Shah team. Sources in the party state leadership said that within a week, Mr Shah will reconstitute the party central team by appointing national general secretaries and also reconstitute the party parliamentary board.
Mr Limbavali is involved in hectic lobbying at Delhi to join Mr Shah’s team as party national general secretary following the resignation of Ananth Kumar who was elevated as Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. Mr. Limbavali has already garnered the support of Union Minister for Water Resources, Uma Bharthi, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan and other prominent party senior leaders.
Among state leaders, Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has reportedly pledged his support to Mr. Limbavali while former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has taken a neutral stand. Former national general secretary Thawar Chand Gehlot who was also in charge of the party’s Karnataka affairs has been made a Cabinet minister in the Modi cabinet. Mr. Gehlot is a Dalit leader and so the chances of Mr. Limbavali joining the Amit Shah team have become brighter because of this, said sources.
However, Mr. Limbavali is facing stiff opposition from the state team. Many senior leaders are opposing his candidature for the national general secretary post. Some including the party state unit president and other senior leaders don't want a junior leader to occupy a top position in the party, said sources.
Former national general secretary Ananth Kumar is still calling the shots at Delhi, and before taking any decision the party will elicit his opinion. He is naturally opposing the candidature of Mr Limbavali, said sources.
To sabotage the attempt of Mr. Limbavali, the state leadership floated the name of five time MLA of Sirsi constituency Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri for the national general secretary’s post. But sources close to Mr Limbavali said that the former health minister’s name has been finalized for the national general secretary’s post.
