Bengaluru: Chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who seems to be growing increasingly uncomfortable with the party high command's many moves to clip his wings, is toying with the idea of making his son, B.Y. Vijayendra, general secretary of the state BJP and also appointing a pliable leader as state organising secretary to strengthen his own position, according to party sources.
Mr Vijayendra is presently general secretary of the youth wing of the BJP in the state and his appointment as general secretary of the state unit, could be a big jump in terms of hierarchy in the BJP, which could work to Mr Yediyurappa’s advantage, they explain.
The Chief Minister is reportedly annoyed with the attitude of the party high command since he assumed office for the fourth time. While he has not spoken out publicly against the appointment of the three deputy Chief Ministers, the creation of a third DyCM post and the appointment of Mr Laxman Savadi to it is said to have particularly worried him as he sees it as a further under-cutting of his importance.
Moreover, the last time he was in Delhi, he had to struggle to meet some of the BJP top brass, according to party sources. Besides these developments, the delay in announcing the flood relief package for the state, is also proving a source of worry for the Chief Minister, they reveal. Adding to his troubles, the party's national leadership is reportedly considering appointing new generation leaders to the helm of affairs in the state, without denting its votebank in Mumbai- Karnataka or any other region.
Afraid of being sidelined even more than he has been, Mr Yediyurappa is said to be keen on the appointment of a pliable state organising secretary, as he will play a key role between the party’s national leadership, the RSS and the state unit.
He is also trying to make sure that Mr Savadi does not get much importance in the running of the government to safeguard his own position, say sources .
But whether he will be able to convince the party high command to make the appointments he is pushing for is debatable as it may not want to give him much leeway to run the party and the government on his terms considering his conduct as Chief Minister between 2008 and 2010, sources add.
