Battle shifts to council polls, no BSY in team

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The council election for the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies has turned the new battleground for the BJP factions of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda. In a politically significant move, Mr Sadananda Gowda left out BSY from the party top-level teams that will lead the party campaigning in the council elections.

After a series of meetings with party leaders and legislators here on Sunday, Mr Gowda said, “We have decided to form four teams which will be headed by I, state party president K.S. Eshwarappa and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar. The other team will be headed by both Home Minister R. Ashok and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S. Suresh Kumar. The teams will fan out to 23 districts and take up canvassing from June 1 to June 5 where party’s six candidates are contesting.”

Mr Eshwarappa said that Mr Yeddyruappa continues to be a leader of the party and the BJP had not deserted anyone. “I am the last person to think that Mr Yeddyurappa is not our leader. I will continue to persuade him to remain in the party and seek his guidance whenever required. Now it is testing time for him and we do not want to burden him with party-related work,” he said.

On the visit of party national general secretary, Karnataka in-charge, Dharmendra Pradhan, to the city, Mr Eshwarappa said party legislators spoke their hearts out and told the central leader about issues concerning them, but none spoke ill against Mr Yeddyurappa. “The party is certain that it wants to retain Mr Yeddyurappa,” he said.

On the long-pending cabinet expansion, Mr Eshwarappa said he was confident that the party high command would give the green signal once the results of the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies are announced on June 11.