Factional fight surfaces in Karnataka BJP

Factional fight resurfaced in the Karnataka unit of the BJP, which is a partner in the ruling coalition Government in the State, after a section of the party legislators expressed their dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of party’s state unit President Sadananda Gowda.

Party legislators loyal to former Federal Minister Ananthakumar, who has a long-standing feud with Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, made a strong pitch for replacement of Sadananda Gowda at a party meeting held in Bangalore. Sadananda Gowda’s failure to visit North Karnataka came in for sharp criticism at the party meeting with a majority of the legislators seeking a change of leadership in the party’s state unit.

Though the meeting had been convened by Yediyurappa to mollify the disgruntled legislators, who had been complaining about JD (S) leaders for treating them with indifference, the meeting ended with the party leadership discussing their own internal differences.

A majority of the legislators, who had favoured replacement of the party’s state unit President, pointed out that as many as 50 out of the 79 assembly seats won by the BJP came from North Karnataka. Yet, Sadananda Gowda had not bothered to tour North Karnataka.

Accusing him of confining himself to his native Mangalore, besides Bangalore and Mysore, the disgruntled BJP legislators said the party would be alienating its workers in North Karnataka if Sadananda Gowda continues in the post.

The strong demand for a change of leadership in the party’s state unit by the party legislators loyal to Ananthakumar has gripped the party leadership forcing Yediyurappa and his supporters to leave for New Delhi to hold talks with the national leadership of the party. Yediyurappa and a host of senior leaders, who are identified with his group, left for New Delhi on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Sadananda Gowda refuted charges that he had ignored North Karnataka. “I will not accept the charge that I have ignored North Karnataka”, he said.

But, BJP legislators loyal to Ananthakumar said a change in the post of party’s state unit President has become inevitable if the party has to retain its hold in North Karnataka. The BJP legislators even took exception to the punitive action recommended by the party leadership against former Federal Minister Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, a leader from North Karnataka, by Sadananda Gowda reportedly at the behest of Yediyurappa.