Close on the heels of former chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa lashing out at party central leaders and hinting at quitting the BJP, the party's troubleshooter and Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and state in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan arrived here on Monday evening to launch an effort to iron out differences and assess the damage the party would suffer if the former CM bids adieu to the BJP.
The two leaders are expected to remain in Bengaluru till Tuesday evening, meet state leaders and return to New Delhi to submit a report. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a highly placed source in the BJP said: “Even though Mr Jaitley's visit to the city was scheduled a long time ago, he had to come here a day in advance to assess the impact due to Yeddyurappa's outbursts.”
The source added that Mr Jaitley will hold talks with state leaders on Tuesday on issues that have caused a revolt in the party. “Jaitley and Pradhan will look into the contentious issue of appointing a new state president, the disgruntlement over the allocation of portfolios in the Jagadish Shettar ministry and Yeddyurappa's threat to leave the party by December,” the source explained.
The source added that the meeting will assess the impact if Yeddyurappa leaves the BJP. “Though in the past, Yeddyurappa had backed out after initially threatening to quit if his demands are not met, this time it appears that he may not compromise on his deadline,” the source said. A large section of Sangh parivar leaders too are fed up with Yeddyurappa's blackmail tactics and feel his exit will not have a major impact on the organisation. “We are sure the Lingayats —the community Yeddyurappa belongs to— will not desert us en masse as they need a national party to protect their interests. Even if the community decides to back him for now, it will be a temporary phenomenon,” the source felt. The mood in the Sangh Parivar is that the party must not buckle under the pressure tactics of BSY this time while selecting the state president.
It is not sure if Yeddyurappa will meet Jaitley and Pradhan while they are in Bengaluru. The speculation is that he may not meet anyone and has instead decided to take part in several pre-scheduled programmes being organised in his constituency, Shikaripura on Tuesday.