BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter
Bangalore: The latest outbreak of dissidence in the ruling BJP seems to be weakening with the dissident camp now climbing down from its demand for replacing Chief Minister (CM) B.S. Yeddyurappa and instead deciding to ask the central leadership to direct the CM to be more accommodative besides shunning his “vengeful” attitude towards his own party-men.
The dissidents are also pressing for a larger share of the power pie and in the party’s core committee and want pro-BSY men to be dropped from key posts so that they can be reassigned to those with a Sangh pariwar background.
Speaking to this newspaper a source within the dissident camp on the condition of anonymity said, “We have come to know that the party central leaders are too preoccupied with the elections in five states. Although, we do not have much at stake in these states, a good performance will definitely boost the morale of the party cadre. So, every top leader in New Delhi is too busy with the polls and there is no one to heed our pleas.”
The dissidents also held a meeting on Sunday night at the residence of former higher education minister Aravind Limbavali’s residence. The source added that it was a forgone conclusion that Mr Yeddyurappa would continue in the same post until the elections are over.
“We have therefore changed our strategy. Instead of a change of leadership, we are seeking a change in the Cabinet and the party’s core committee. It is a well known fact that when the Reddy brothers launched their rebellion against Mr Yeddyurappa in 2008-09, the party central leadership decided to back him to the hilt. They also formed a core committee in which BSY loyalists had the upper hand and also allotted crucial Cabinet portfolios to his men. We are not in a position to weaken him unless we target his power centres. So, we will first ask the central leaders to allot prime portfolios to the pro-Sangh camp and restructure the core-committee,” the source said.
