Bengaluru: Even as elections to the state Assembly are looming in the not too distant horizon, an open revolt is brewing against state BJP chief, B S Yedduyurappa in the saffron party. Upping the ante against his “dictatorial” attitude, some “loyal partymen” have called a “BJP Bachao” meeting at the Palace Grounds here on April 27 to chalk out their future course of action.
“They will take a decision on whether to remain in the party or look for other options as loyal workers are feeling suffocated under Mr Yeddyurappa’s leadership. Another option is to complain to BJP national president, Amit Shah and urge him to intervene,” said a BJP MLC, calling the move an open revolt against Mr Yeddyurappa. All those who had “suffered” at his hands like former state BJP chief, Prahlad Joshi and senior leader, K.S. Eshwarappa, had been invited to the meeting which could see a turnout of at least a thousand workers, he revealed.
“Mr Yeddyurappa is taking decisions without consulting anyone and behaving like a dictator. We feel the time has come for loyal party workers to show that they are a force to be reckoned with too,” the MLC added. Although the party had given him a second chance despite his leaving it to form the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), and even declared him its Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2018 Assembly polls, Mr Yeddyurappa was showing no gratitude and was instead appointing candidates of his choice – mostly from the KJP - as presidents of district and taluk units, he deplored. Also he claimed not to have received any letter from 27 legislators asking him to change the district presidents and cancelled a meeting that he had called to discuss their grouses at the last moment, he recalled.
The angry BJP leader noted that the committee constituted to set right the anomalies in certain party appointments before February 10 at the prompting of Mr Shah, had not met even once. “Naturally this has angered leaders, who are demanding change of district presidents in Tumakuru, Davangere and Chamarajanagar. Mr Yeddyurappa has built his own coterie and is not willing to take any suggestions. This has forced the upset partymen too revolt,” he explained, regretting that even the BJP’s recent defeat in the two bypolls didn’t seem to have made any difference to the BJP veteran's style of functioning.
