Bengaluru: The Opposition BJP is keeping a close watch on the internal turmoil in the ruling Congress after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah undertook a major surgery of his Cabinet dropping senior ministers.
Sources close to BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa said the party is not keen on poking its nose in the internal affairs of the Congress but would neither like to sit idle. After senior ministers Srinivasa Prasad and Ambarish were dropped from the Cabinet, the BJP had requested them not to take hasty decisions. Mr Yeddyurappa reportedly approached Congress veteran Srinivasa Prasad through his emissaries.
Sources said the ongoing developments would help the BJP both in Hyderabad-Karnataka and Old Mysuru. In Hyderabad-Karnataka, a section of Congress leaders have revolted against party leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge claiming he had sabotaged their ministerial aspirations.
“Any internal bickering in the Congress will definitely help the BJP in future. If we directly interfere by approaching the dissidents, it could boomerang on us, so we have decided to restrict ourselves to observing the developments for now”, said sources close to Mr Yeddyurappa.
In old-Mysuru, the BJP is eying rebel JD(S) leaders who are already knocking at their doors. Knowing that they have a bleak future in the Congress, rebel JD(S) leaders like Cheluvaraya Swamy and H.C. Balakrishna are keen on joining the BJP with an eye on the 2018 polls, sources said.
However, one cause of concern for the BJP is the choice of KPCC president after the appointment of Dinesh Gundurao as working president. There are many in the party who aver that the Congress will not take the risk of appointing a Lingayat as KPCC chief after the appointment of the seniormost Lingayat leader, Yeddyurappa as BJP state president. They feel the mantle will fall on energy minister D.K. Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga which will help the Congress counter Yeddyurappa in the 2018 polls.
This is a point of concern for the BJP as the fight in old Mysuru will be between JD(S) and Congress with the saffron party likely to fall behind.
Is DHS on his way out?
Is BJP state president B.S.Yeddyurappa not too concerned about his party colleague, D.H. Shankaramurthy losing the post of Council chairman after the Congress secured a majority in the Upper House? Sources said BJP rebel and former Union minister Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal too does not want Mr Shankaramurthy to continue in the post. Even JD(S) rebel members Puttanna and Sandesh Nagaraj are preparing to play their cards if a no-confidence motion is moved by the Congress against the Chairman and Deputy Chairman Marithibbe Gowda of JD(S), the sources added.
