Team News Riveting
Bengaluru, June 18
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership had to deal with three different factions to resolve the political crises that had put the stability of BS Yediyurappa government in Karnataka at stake.
The current tussle for power within the BJP in Karnataka has split the party into three, one deadly against the Chief Minister, another blindly backing him and the third remaining neutral with wait and watch policy.
The BJP high command had sent General Secretary Arun Singh to take stock of the situation and submit a report. He had already met over 50 MLAs from all three factions and for the record made it clear that there would be no leadership change in the state. “Our party government has done well. There will be no leadership change in the state”, he said.
However, the factions opposed to Yediyurappa are not in a mood to compromise, stepping up the attack on the 78-year-old party stalwart and his controversial son BY Vijayendra, whom they hold directly responsible for the current situation. Allegations and counter-allegations from the three factions had put the party leaders in a fix who had been eyeing an amicable solution.
A rebel group led by senior MLA BR Patil Yatnal had asserted that they would not settle for anything less than the ouster of Yediyurappa. Stepping up the attack, another MLA Aravind Bellad had made serious allegations of telephone tapping against his own government. A probe was later ordered into the incident.
In a backfoot, Yediyurappa camp had been desperately working out strategy to counter the opponents.
Senior BJP leader and MLC H Vishwanath further complicated the crises by charging BY Vijayendra in a huge billion dollars scam. Addressing the media on Friday, he said that Yediyurappa was no longer in control and his son was illegally passing the orders to bureaucracy.
Taking exceptions to his comments, pro-Yediyurappa MLAs have launched a counterattack demanding the expulsion of Vishwanath from the party. Some even allege that certain elements in New Delhi are firing on his shoulders to settle scores with Yediyurappa.
Leader of the opposition and former CM Siddaramaiah has asked the Governor to dismiss the government and impose the President’s rule in the state.
The crises in Karnataka had put question marks over the party’s strategy to import leaders from other parties.
