Bengaluru: With the BJP's national leadership deciding to reconstitute the party's organisational set-up after the Lok Sabha poll, many young leaders are already eyeing the party's state chief post with interest.
Present state BJP chief, B S. Yeddyurappa is believed to be backing his close associate, Shobha Karandlaje for the post and will definitely push her candidature while joining others in opposing her.
When contacted, senior BJP leader, K.S. Eshwarappa said the party could appoint someone young as the state party unit chief. Going by sources, former deputy chief minister, R.Ashok, BJP state general secretaries, C.T.
Ravi, Aravind Limbavali and Shobha Karandlaje, and MLAs, Dr. Ashwathnarayana, and Aravind Bellad are the frontrunners for the post.
Among these young leaders , Mr. Ashok and C.T. Ravi are believed to be the strongest contenders.
Both men had tried to get the post in the past, but found Mr. Prahlad Joshi being made chief o f the state BJP (much before the entry of Mr. Yeddyurappa, who became its state chief).
Although Mr. Ashok claims he is a strong contender for the post, he lacks the support of the party organisation and local RSS workers. Another Vokkaliga leader, C.T. Ravi too maintains he will get the party chief post, because his name was doing the rounds even earlier, but stopped after Mr. Joshi's appointment as its president.
As the party is very strict about its "one post, one man" principle, Mr. Yeddyurappa will have to relinquish one post and he has reportedly decided to keep the post of the opposition leader in the Assembly. Going by caste and regional combinations, the party is likely to install a Vokkaliga leader to the post as it is keen to make inroads in the Vokkaliga heartland of the old Mysuru region, a stronghold of the Janata Dal (Secular).
