B S Yeddyurappa calls for state leaders’ meet on September 19
BENGALURU:After holding closed-door meetings with senior leaders for days over the current political dissent in the Congress, state president of the BJP B S Yeddyurappa will hold a meeting with all state leaders on September 19.
While the party maintains that the meeting has been called to brief state leaders on what happened in the two-day national executive meet held in Delhi, sources suggest that the meeting will include discussions on where the state BJP needs to position itself given the brewing dissent within the Congress.
Sources from the BJP’s central leadership reveal that state leaders, including B S Yeddyurappa, have been asked to maintain status quo and wait for the coalition to cave in by itself.
The meeting has been called for three days after former Chief minister Siddaramaiah’s return from his Europe trip. Sources from the BJP suggest that it is for a reason. “The leaders threatening to quit the party are waiting for Siddaramaiah, who they consider their leader, to return from Europe. It is only after they express confidence about leaving the party, can we do anything,” a BJP source said.
Yeddyurappa, who, according to many leaders in the party, is keen on looking for ways to consolidate numbers in the party’s favour, will wait and watch the impact Siddaramaiah will have on the crisis. “Depending on whether Siddaramaiah’s intervention fizzles or escalates the matter, BJP will make its move,” a party leader said. This wait and watch strategy of the BJP comes in the wake of Ramesh Jarkiholi claiming that issues within the party will be sorted after discussions with Siddaramaiah.
The state leadership has been warned against doing anything to dislodge the JD(S)-Congress coalition and to wait for it to crumble on its own. While Congress has been accusing him of indulging in horse-trade, Yeddyurappa dismissed all allegations.
Sources in the party suggest that September 19 meet will be a consensus building exercise apart from the party’s attempt to keep its flock together in the face of both Congress and the JD(S) claiming that legislators of the BJP as ready to jump ships as well.