BENGALURU: The suspense over the election of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly continued on Monday even as the Budget session began with the Governor’s address to the joint session of the legislature.
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa apprised party national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Sunday about the political environment in the state.
Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde and Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya will arrive at the party’s office here on Tuesday and will hold one-on-one meetings with all the 66 party MLAs and collect their opinions, said informed sources. Later, they are likely to brief the top brass to take a call on the LoP.
The exercise has been necessitated as there were differences of opinions about the election of LoP among the leaders in the party with Yediyurappa opposing the candidature of former union minister and Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.
According to sources, though the national leaders have taken Yediyurappa’s suggestion, they are likely to take a call on their own to strike a balance which is why they have been sending observers to neutralise any internal squabbles. According to sources, former CM Basavaraj Bommai and Yatnal are the frontrunners for the post.
Meanwhile, former minister and Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar has also emerged as a strong contender with the backing of the RSS. “If Bommai and Yatnal win the LoP race, Sunil could be made the deputy leader of the Opposition,” said a BJP leader.
Interestingly, Yediyurappa — who wanted his son and BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra to be appointed as the party state president — has no reservation on appointing a non-Lingayat leader as the LoP, a source told TNIE, adding that he had even proposed former minister R Ashoka, a Vokkaliga, for the post.
Yeddyurappa, while returning from the national capital on Monday morning, told reporters at Bengaluru airport that the observers will take suggestions from the MLAs on the appointment of LoP and BJP state chief. “On Tuesday, there will be a decision on LoP and everything will be alright,” he said.
Political pundits observed that if the BJP elects a Lingayat leader as LoP, it will appoint a non-Lingayat as party state chief and vice-versa to strike a balance on the caste front. Meanwhile, former minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, a Vokkaliga, is the frontrunner for the BJP state chief post.
WHY NO ACTION AGAINST CRITICS OF BSY IN PARTY: RENUKA
A defiant BJP leader, MP Renukacharya, on Monday asked why when someone makes a harsh statement against former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, they are not served any disciplinary action notice but are ‘honoured royally.’ He was referring to leaders in BJP who are criticising Yediyurappa. Why this double standard and deceit in the name of discipline, he asked.
“These people remember the disciplinary committee only when I make a statement,” he said. On allegations of adjustment politics, he said, “Mysuru MP Pratap Simha has been doing adjustment politics with JDS for years. How come it is not spoken about?’’ Asked if Yediyurappa is using him to say things against the party leadership, he said, “Yediyurappa has never stooped low or done petty politics,” he said emotionally. He said the party served notices to 11 others, but only he received it and none of the others. He said no one had known or heard of the disciplinary committee till he made a statement.