Public CompanyBJP rebels firm on change in leadership
With fissures widening between the warring factions in the BJP in Karnataka the party’s top leadership summoned them to New Delhi after rebels remained firm on their demand for change in the leadership of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.
- swaraj/23/36/374806/" class="textMost" title="Aditi Phadnis: Sushma"s swaraj">Aditi Phadnis: Sushma"s swaraj - Shettar"s followers in dilemma - Rift between rebels, CM grows wider - Hindutva party? - Hindutva party? - BJP stakes claim for Oppn Leader"s post in Maharashtra
The three-day-long trouble shooting mission by senior leader Arun Jaitley failed to bring about a solution.
Jaitley returned to Delhi, summoning Yeddyurappa, revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy, who has been at the centre stage of the revolt and state assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, a rallying point for rebels for further consultation.
Jaitley, who is also in-charge of BJP affairs in Karnataka refused to set any time frame for resolving the crisis, but, however, exuded optimism for early end to it.
“There is no change in the leadership of Yeddyurappa, whose government is functioning well”, he said before his departure from the city even as rebels insisted “leadership change is the only solution to the crisis”.
Karunakara Reddy, who was invited by Jaitley for another round of talks today said “problems faced by MLAs has been brought to the attention of the Central leadership”, but declined to comment on the demand for change of guard.
A beleaguered Yeddyurappa in the midst of all these developments exuded confidence that crisis will be resolved today. "Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley is engaged in finding a solution to the crisis and I hope by this evening some solution will emerge,"the chief minister said.
"The Central BJP leadership is aware of the differences of opinion that has surfaced among leaders in the state and also the problems," he said after holding parleys with Jaitley.