The state BJP unit is “upset” with some leaders who were meeting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and urging him to put pressure on BJP national leaders to take back former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa into the party fold.
Party sources told Express that this kind of “indiscipline” has been brought to the notice of BJP national president Rajnath Singh.
Sources said Singh has been requested to instruct such leaders not to take “extra” interest on the Yeddyurappa issue.
“We do not know why there is such a hurry to bring back Yeddyurappa without giving the national leaders time to ponder over it. By doing so, they are creating an impression that the BJP is solely depended on Yeddyurappa,” the sources added.
Sources also said it was unbecoming on the part of the leaders to exert pressure on the party high command without understanding the procedure.
BJP national general secretary Thawar Chand Gehlot had already visited Karnataka to take state leaders’ opinion on bringing back Yeddyurappa into the BJP.
Now, the ball is in the court of central leaders, sources added.
Sources pointed out that bypassing Singh and meeting Modi over the issue will send a wrong signal that all is not well in the BJP.
In fact, Singh is the national BJP president and issues such as taking someone into the party fold has to be decided at the parliamentary board meeting.
“Yeddyurappa quit the party on his own. It will take sometime for the parliamentary board to meet and decide whether to take Yeddyurappa back or not,” sources added.
Sources pointed out that Yeddyurappa was reportedly not happy with former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda taking the initiative to bring him back to the BJP.
Yeddyurappa has an impression that Gowda “ditched” him when he became the CM and did not consult him before taking decisions on major issues.
When contacted, state BJP president Prahlad Joshi clarified that no leader had consulted him before meeting Modi in Ahmedabad.
However, Joshi declined to comment whether Singh was “upset” with the attitude of the leaders who were going all out to woo Yeddyurappa.