BENGALURU: Even as a few BJP leaders are hoping to bag the party state president’s post, there are indications that the incumbent B S Yeddyurappa will continue at least till the end of the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite the party policy of not allowing any leader to occupy two posts, the BJP top brass is expected to make an exception in the former chief minister’s case. However, according to sources, a few BJP leaders have already made overtures for the plum post with three leaders emerging as hopefuls — BJP general secretaries C T Ravi and Aravind Limbavali, and Yeddyurappa’s confidante Shobha Karandlaje. Shobha, however, feels that Yeddyurappa will likely continue till the Lok Sabha elections, following which the BJP will take a call.
Sources told The New Indian Express that a few BJP leaders had reached out to leaders in New Delhi to lobby for the post soon after Yeddyurappa was sworn-in as Chief Minister in a tenure that lasted 48 hours.
“Following his resignation and due to the ongoing political turmoil, the issue had taken a back seat. Now since he is the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Assembly, some party leaders are vying for the state president post,” the source said.
As of now, the three mentioned names are doing the rounds. While Ravi is being recommended for his organisational abilities in the party, Limbavali is a prominent leader from Bengaluru who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community. Shobha - MP and former minister - has been referred by Yeddyurappa. Ravi had evinced interest to become party president in the past and belongs to the Vokkaliga community, which might hurt his prospects. Ravi told Express there was no system of ‘aspirants’ in the BJP and senior leaders in the state would take a call on the matter. Shobha, however, dismissed the issue as rumour and said she was not hopeful.