Confusion continues over the reported merger of the BSR Congress with the BJP as the saffron outfit is finding it difficult to convince senior leader Sushma Swaraj, who is opposing the re-entry of former minister Sriramulu into the party.
The BJP leadership is now hoping for an electoral tie-up with the BSR Congress and make the party a part of the NDA that could pave the way for Sriramulu to contest from Bellary as a BSR Congress candidate with support from BJP.
According to BJP sources, Swaraj’s public disapproval of Sriramulu, a close confidant of jailed mining baron Janardhana Reddy, has made it difficult for the BJP leadership to re-admit Sriramulu into the party.
“Therefore the best we can expect now is to have a tie-up between BJP and BSR Congress. This will make BSR Congress a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA )and enable Sriramulu to constest from Bellary with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” sources said.
Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, who was in the city on Tuesday, was evasive on the issue during his interaction with the media.
“The BJP Parliamentary Board will take a decision as to whether Sriramulu should join the saffron party or otherwise,” he said.
Replying to a question on former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa’s letter to party national president Rajnath Singh expressing his displeasure about his (Yeddyurappa’s) KJP colleagues not being suitably rewarded in the BJP, Naidu said that it was not a big issue.
“Yeddyurappa is a senior leader and his suggestions would be considered. Accommodating some people is not a big issue. Yeddyurappa will be given importance. The BJP president will take a decision in this regard,” he said.
Sheila’s Appointment
The BJP has criticised the appointment of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit as the Governor of Kerala at the fag end of its term at the Centre.
“This appointment by the UPA government is immoral. She is about to be prosecuted for Commonwealth Games scam. So the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is protecting her by appointing her as a governor.
“The decisions of UPA government will be reviewed if the BJP comes to power at the Centre,” the BJP leader said.
Target 66 for South
The Bharatiya Janata Party has set a target of winning at least half of the 132 Lok Sabha seats in South India.
“We are getting new partners in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Kerala too, the response from various social groups is encouraging for the BJP. BJP will work wonders in Andhra Pradesh. We have a formidable winning combination. In Karnataka, we will surpass our previous best of winning 19 seats. We have set a halfway target of 66 in South India,” Naidu said.
He denied reports of a rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party over allotment of tickets.
“There is no problem within the party, the problem is only with the rivals,” the former BJP national president said.