The BJP Karnataka State core committee that met in the presence of party national general secretary and State in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal is learnt to have emphasised the need to take everyone into confidence as part of efforts to resolve internal tussle that has taken centrestage in the party.
Indicating this while briefing media persons after the core committee meeting, C.T. Ravi, MLC, said the party would take measures to strengthen the party organisation by taking everyone into confidence.
When specifically asked about the internal tussle in the party marked by the public attack by rebels, Mr. Ravi refused to divulge the details regarding the issues discussed by the core committee and only said, “Nothing is bigger than the organisation. We will have our existence only if the organisation survives. We have decided to take measures to take everyone into confidence.”
Internal tussle in the BJP has reached a flashpoint with the rebels, led by Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, openly challenging the leadership of party State president B.Y. Vijayendra, and in response to this, the followers of Mr. Vijayendra announcing their plans to visit Delhi to meet the party central leaders to seek expulsion of prominent rebel leaders.
Both camps have been trying to bring pressure on the party leadership to initiate action against their rival. However, the central leadership appears to favouring the approach of taking everyone into confidence.
Mr. Ravi said the core committee had resolved to ask the district units to send the names of three leaders through consensus for being considered for the district president’s posts. These names would be forwarded to the Centre for approval, he noted.
No talk on presidentship
The core committee had not yet discussed anything related to the post of party State president as of now, he said.
Before the core committee met, Mr. Singh held separate meetings of party legislators and former legislators. Referring to these meetings, party general secretary Preetham Gowda told media persons that the party legislators had sought action from the central leadership to prevent such leaders from indulging in public attacks against the State leadership.
At the meeting of former legislators, in which a large number of supporters of Mr. Vijayendra participated, Mr. Agarwal is learnt to have sternly told them that they too should desist from indulging in public counter attack at the rebel leaders in the interest of party discipline.
Request to be relieved
Meanwhile, BJP State general secretary V. Sunil Kumar confirmed to media persons that he had requested the party to relieve him from the party organisational responsibility as he felt that he was not doing justice to the post. He denied that he was an aspirant for the State president post.
Published – January 22, 2025 12:08 am IST
