BENGALURU: Infighting in the BJP continued on Friday with a section of partymen complaining to state unit president B S Yeddyurappa about his manner of functioning.
A letter written by 24 members of the party, including sitting MLCs, said they had been seeking time with him to discuss grievances on August 1, 2016, but they had not received any response. The letter states that Yeddyurappa had taken unilateral decisions and had not consulted partymen when it came to appointment of office-bearers, district presidents and other posts.
The signatories disapproved of senior leader K S Eshwarappa not being included in drought teams. The letter had the names of MLCs M B Bhanuprakash, Raghunath Malkapure and Somanna Bevinamarad and other BJP leaders like Nirmal Surana, Vishweshar Hegde Kageri, S A Ravindranath, Sogadu Shivanna, A H Shivayogiswamy, M Basavaraja Naik, Siddaraju, M B Nandish, M S Somalingappa and Ashwanthnarayan among others.
BJP spokesperson G Madhusudhan was quick to respond saying it was the work of miscreants and no such letter had been given and issues raised in the letter were false. “It is not true that it is not possible for workers or senior leaders to meet the state president. While travelling to various districts, Yeddyurappa makes it a point to meet all district functionaries,” he said
Soon after, MLC M B Bhanuprakash, whose name is the first among the signatories, told the press that they had indeed sent such a letter to Yeddyurappa. “Sixteen people signed it, but 24 people agreed with the contents of the letter and it was given to the office of B S Yeddyurappa. It is true that we gave a letter to Yeddyurappa in August in Shivamogga,” he said.
In clear support of Eshwarappa, he said, “It is not right of Yeddyurappa to say he does not need the support of Eshwarappa to become CM nor is it right to say that Sangolli Rayanna Brigade is not necessary. ” Bhanuprakash said he was confident of a solution. Madhusudhan’s use of the word “miscreants” did not go well with Bhanuprakash who said it upset him. Former
MLC Siddaraju said that it was Madhusudhan who was the miscreant and they had complained against him.
Former minister Sogadu Shivanna said they had not committed any anti-party activities and taking action against him who had worked for BJP was unfair. The party had issued notices to Shivanna and M B Nandish earlier. The party also suspended former Bengaluru mayor D Venkatesh Murthy from the primary membership.