BENGALURU: Central leadership is said to have strongly backed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and even sought a report about those spreading such theories. Sources said that the BJP Central leaders dialled Bommai on Tuesday night and spoke to him about the speculation doing the rounds. They assured Bommai that there is no change in the leadership as they have already announced that the party will face the 2023 Assembly elections under his leadership, sources said and added that the leaders also asked for a report on those spreading such speculation and said stern action will be taken against them.
Statements from some BJP leaders, including former MLA Suresh Gowda and a series of tweets by the Congress state unit about silence in the BJP camp after Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Karnataka had fuelled speculation over leadership change. Ministers and many senior BJP leaders have rubbished it and accused Congress of spreading them.
Sources said BJP Central leaders asked the CM to focus on the administration, ensure that the government programmes reach people and also start a state tour to strengthen the party. The CM, who was in home isolation for the last five days after testing positive for Covid-19 is preparing to start a state tour. In the first round, he is likely to visit 60 Assembly constituencies to interact with beneficiaries of government programmes. On Thursday, the CM will visit Mandya.
Earlier in the day, former CM BS Yediyurappa too had rejected any leadership change and appealed to those spreading such speculation to stop it. The senior BJP leader said he is “100% confident” that Bommai will continue as the CM. Bommai will decide on cabinet expansion and other matters after consulting Central leaders, Yediyurappa said responding to a question on the delay in taking up ministry expansion.
Yediyurappa said the party high command will decide on the next party state president after Nalin Kumar Kateel’s term ends. Kateel’s term will end this month. Yediyurappa said he and other leaders will tour the state and the BJP will come back to power in 2023. The former CM, who had held discussions with Amit Shah during his recent visit to Bengaluru, said they had discussed political developments in the state.
Responding to a question on former chief minister Jagadish Shettar’s visit to his residence in the city, Yediyurappa said all leaders are coming to discuss political developments.