BANGALORE: Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday prepared the ground for hard bargain ahead of the two-day ‘Chintan Baitak’, the party brainstorming session to be chaired by BJP national president Nitin Gadkari.
He held parleys with backward class leaders and assured to support their cause in the ensuing budget by directing the state government to incorporate their demands.
The former chief minister asked the backward class leaders to present issues that needs to be addressed so that he can in turn ask Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to incorporate their demands.
“It is an exercise to project himself as the leader-in-command. At the pre-budget discussions with various community leaders in the party, Yeddyurappa was eulogised by his supporters for the tremendous work done for the OBCs while a few even expressed their ambition to see him in the CM’s saddle,” a party leader said on condition of anonymity. A few BC leaders present in the meeting said: “Only Yeddyurappa can espouse the cause of BCs. The party should reinstate him as CM.”
Yeddyurappa, however, addressed that he had called a meeting to hear grievances of the BC community. “The proposals will be placed before the CM to include in the budget.”
Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa has asked Bangalore North Lok Sabha member D B Chandre Gowda to chair his birthday celebration on February 27.
The event will be held at a private hotel adjacent to city railway station. The Lingayat strongman is said to be using his birthday as an excuse to send a clear signal to his rivals in the party, including the CM.