BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP unit Vice-President and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's son BY Vijayendra on Tuesday morning flew down to New Delhi, creating a buzz in political circles. Vijayendra's visit to New Delhi assumes importance in the background of hectic political activity last week over leadership change murmurs, Minister CP Yogeeshwara's personal jibes at Yediyurappa, and 18 MLAs meeting Yediyurappa at his residence on Sunday, where they pledged support and loyalty to the 78-year-old Chief Minister.
Vijayendra told TNIE that the visit was strictly personal. "I don't understand why there is so much buzz around it. I regularly visit New Delhi for personal work. That I am visiting Delhi doesn't mean I am here only to meet party leaders. I haven't even sought appointments with party leaders," he said.
BJP in-charge general secretary Arun Singh's office, too, denied any such meetings. Despite both leaders suggesting that there was no official meeting over Karnataka's political affairs, sources in the State BJP, however, suggested that Vijayendra had spoken with Arun Singh on Tuesday, and is likely to meet him again on Wednesday, before he returns to Bengaluru.
Yediyurappa's team is confident that there will be no leadership change, and insists that the senior leadership of the party is firmly behind the Chief Minister.Sources in the party suggest that Vijayendra will raise issues of unrest in the party, in his capacity as State BJP Vice-President, especially after Yogeeshwara'a comments attacking the Chief Minister publicly. MLAs like MP Renukacharya have minced no words in criticising Yogeeshwara publicly, and have even demanded his expulsion from the cabinet.