Bengaluru: BJP national secretary (organisation), Ramlal held a closed door meeting with warring BJP state president, B.S.Yeddyurappa and party senior leader, and former Deputy CM K.S. Eshwarappa ahead of the party’s core committee meeting to try and resolve their differences here on Thursday.
He is reported to have firmly advised Mr. Eshwarappa against backing the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB) to avoid “confusion” in the party and work with Mr Yeddyurappa to bring the BJP to power in the 2018 Assembly elections.
This was his second round of talks with the two leaders as he met them first Wednesday night in the city. At this meeting Mr Eshwarappa, is said to have argued that the brigade would help the party consolidate its votebank for the 2018 elections and the response to its Haveri convention clearly showed other backward communities were willing to support the BJP in the polls
But Mr. Yeddyurappa shot back saying the SRB was causing confusion among party workers and its conventions could harm the interest of the BJP, going by party sources.
The meeting is said to have concluded with Mr Ramlal once again advising Mr. Eshwarappa to hold programmes under the party banner and telling the state BJP chief to take all leaders into confidence when taking important decisions pertaining to the party.
At the core committee meeting on Thursday, Mr. Ramlal reportedly did more to smoothen ruffled feathers, advising senior leaders to remain united in public as any misleading statements could send the wrong message to the cadres. He suggested they put their differences aside and work to strengthen the party in readiness for the coming assembly poll.
Core committee member, Aravinda Limbavali said Mr. Ramlal had instructed the state general secretaries to go on district tours two days in a month and make sure booth and mandal committees were more active to strengthen the party at the grassroots.
Following the meeting Mr Yeddurappa declared there were no differences in the party. “We are all united. Ramlaljee has advised us to go on state tours to strengthen the party base for the 2018 Assembly elections, ” he said.
