A meeting of the core committee of the state unit of BJP, convened to discuss issues such as a reshuffle of portfolios and nominations to the Legislative Council, was inconclusive as the leaders got into arguments over others issues on Saturday. At the meeting, former chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda took exception to his predecessor Mr Yeddyurappa playing the role of Opposition leader in the just-concluded legislature session, saying it caused much embarrassment to the state government.
He charged Mr Yeddyurappa with providing wrong information on the floor of the House about lack of fiscal support to several populist schemes. On his part, Mr Yeddyurappa opposed the move to reshuffle portfolios, and urged the leaders to appoint a new president in place of Mr K S Eshwarappa who also holds the post of deputy chief minister. Though this issue was not on the agenda of the core committee, the former chief minister insisted that the leaders take a decision to appoint a new chief ahead of the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly. He dropped hints that he was a contender for the post.
Sources in the party said the leaders categorically told Mr Yeddyurappa that appointment of state unit chief was not in their hands, but would be decided by the party’s parliamentary board. The sources said Mr Yeddyurappa also opposed a reshuffle of portfolios on grounds that it would create problems for the government. Regarding three nominations to the Legislative Council, Mr Yeddyurappa proposed the name of his staunch supporter and Karnataka Handloom Corporation president M.D. Laxminarayana
The core committee also discussed about a complete reshuffle of chairpersons of state-owned Boards and Corporations. With only ten months left for polls to the Legislative Assembly, the leaders were keen to offer these posts to legislators who could not make it to the cabinet. They also decided to give representation to all communities, castes and regions while appointing chairpersons to Board and Corporations, the sources told DC. Party in-charge of Karnataka, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, former chief ministers B.S.Yeddyurappa and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, party organizing secretary Santhosh and RSS leader M.P. Kumar attended the meeting on Saturday.