RSS leader to unite factions

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BJP organising secy Satish will visit Bengaluru soon to prepare the ground for BJP legislature party meeting and a possible change of CM replacing Sadananda Gowda

The state BJP is preparing the ground for a cordial resolution of the leadership imbroglio with senior RSS leader and party national organizing secretary Satish set to arrive here soon for talks with feuding state bosses.

Mr Satish’s visit is intended to test the waters before the BJP central leadership begins a full fledged effort to end the stalemate which has hit governance badly.

The opinion of legislators will be sought on the convening of a legislature party meeting—something the BSY camp has been pressing for to prove they have the majority of MLAs on their side.

They are keen on targeting the CM for his alleged closeness to the JD(S) and some of his controversial decisions including ordering a probe into the affairs of the excised department handled by BSY loyalist M.P. Renukacharya.

Mr Satish is expected to hold talks with party state president K.S. Eshwarappa and Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on these issues.

While the BSY camp has been maintaining that the legislature party meeting is intended to provide a chance to MLAs to discuss constituency related problems, CM loyalists feel it is a ruse to raise the leadership issue.

Mr Satish will try to cool tempers before the meeting is convened so that a flare-up can be avoided, said sources.

The nagging question is who will occupy the CM post if Sadananda Gowda is asked to resign under pressure from BSY loyalists.

Central leaders are keen on avoiding a contest for the post and will try to strike a consensus before convening the meeting. The frontrunner of course, is rural development minister and Lingayat strongman Jagadish Shettar.

Sources close to Yeddyurappa said senior leader Arun Jaitley is not averse to a change of leadership and so is general secretary in charge of Karnataka affairs, Dharmendra Pradhan.

Anticipating a favourable decision on change of leadership after their leader secured anticipatory bail in the illegal mining case, BSY loyalists met at his Race Course residence on Friday.

CM plays safe: I’m a BSY supporter

There was no hiding the snigger in Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda’s tone as he reacted to the anticipatory bail granted to his predecessor, B.S. Yeddyurappa, who has made sure that his tenure in office is anything but smooth.

“I am happy to hear that Mr Yeddyurappa has been granted anticipatory bail by the Karnataka High Court. The bail has saved him from being jailed,” quipped the CM on Friday, a day after BSY was granted bail in the mining kickbacks case.

“Yeddyurappa is our leader and I am also one of his supporters. I am relieved that the bail has saved him from going to jail,” said Mr Gowda adding that he was confident that BSY would come out clean in all the cases.

Mr Gowda hailing Yeddyurappa as his leader, comes as a surprise especially since the BSY camp is stepping up the ‘oust Sadananda Gowda’ campaign.

His reference to Yeddyurappa being spared a stint in prison, reminds one of a similar reaction of the CM to the quashing of the FIR filed against Yeddyurappa in the illegal mining case.

Then, Mr Gowda had stated: “I came to know about the order quashing the FIR. However, there are several cases pending against BSY. A total of eight cases.” His reaction had irked the BSY camp.