BENGALURU: More than a week after the formation of Karnataka’s new cabinet, dissent is only growing by the day in the BJP ranks. While those who didn’t make it to the cabinet are making the rounds of New Delhi and Bengaluru to seek ‘justice’, those who made it to the cabinet, but are unhappy with their portfolios, are lobbying at different levels.
While some chose to speak to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai directly, others are reaching out to State organising secretary Arun Kumar and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. Some others are even trying to pull strings at the national leadership level of the Sangh and the BJP. Tired of the public display of dissent, Basavaraj Bommai had approached his predecessor B S Yediyurappa earlier this week and is now reaching out to the Central leadership of the BJP to reign in ‘indiscipline’.
On Tuesday, hundreds of BJP cadres in nearly 150 vehicles from Suntikoppa, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar and other places in Kodagu, drove down to Bengaluru and protested at Freedom Park over the exclusion of Appachu Ranjan from the cabinet. The supporters wanted to proceed to meet the CM, but were stopped by the police. Following this, the supporters confronted the police, but were pacified after a few of them were allowed to meet the CM.
During the meeting at his residence, Bommai assured the delegation that their demand will be met during the next expansion and after clearance from party higher-ups. The delegation also met former CM B S Yediyurappa at his residence and requested him to push for Ranjan’s cause.
Meanwhile legislators like Ramesh Jarkiholi, C P Yogeeshwara, Arvind Bellad, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Srimanth Patil and Mahesh Kumathalli have been holding multipe meetings with representations to New Delhi as well. Others like Preetam Gowda, Poornima Srinivas, Raju Gouda, Siddu Savadi, Dattatreya Patil Revoor have been raising their concerns with Yediyurappa and other party leaders at the state level.
“Bommai was asked not to break his head over those creating controversies. Yediyurappa asked him to focus on work instead, and let the dissent either die down naturally or let the party handle it,” said a source privy to the discussion held between Yediyurappa and Bommai earlier this week.
Bommai, though has publicly maintained that there is no dissent, has been holding meetings to pacify ministers who are unhappy with their portfolios. Bommai, it is said, has reached out to the BJP central leadership as well and has appealed for their intervention to stop core party and ideological loyalists from making public statements of dissent.
Rumours of Anand Singh’s resignation do the rounds
Hosapete: Rumours about possible resignation by newly inducted Tourism Minister Anand Singh have been doing the rounds in the district since Tuesday morning. The rumours spread on social media groups after a signboard in front of Anand Singh’s was removed. Singh is upset after being denied either the Home, mining or forest ministry.