Karnataka stares at summer of BJP power struggle
February 23rd, 2012 - 4:44 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore, Feb 23 (IANS) The power struggle in Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharpened Thursday, threatening to reduce D.V. Sadananda Gowda to a lame-duck chief minister.
The threat to the Gowda government is from his predecessor, B.S. Yeddyurappa, who was forced out of office last July over corruption charges.
Yeddyurappa was hoping to come back as chief minister within six months but with BJP central leaders firmly ruling out his return till he was cleared of corruption charges, he has been angling to be officially declared the unquestioned leader of the party in the state.
On Thursday, a day ahead of BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s visit to the state, Yeddyurappa hosted a lunch in Bangalore for party legislators hoping to demonstrate his hold on the organization.
Around 80 of the 120 party members in the assembly, several legislative council and parliament members attended the luncheon.
Gadkari is to participate in the two-day ‘chintan-manthan’ or brainstorming session of state party leaders and legislators.
The meeting has been called in the wake of the involvement of three ministers - Laxman Savadi, C. C. Patil and J. Krishna Palemar - in viewing porn in the assembly Feb 7. The three quit the next day.
However, the incident has dealt a severe blow to BJP, which often claims to be only party with high moral values. Many of the groups supporting it indulge in moral policing.
State BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa, who also attended the luncheon meeting, told reporters that Gadkari’s visit will resolve the “minor problems” plaguing the party.
Though Yeddyurappa handpicked Gowda to succeed him, he has turned against him on the ground that the successor is acting independently to emerge out of his shadow.
Gowda is also being targetted by Yeddyurappa and his supporters for allegedly getting cozy with former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular president H.D. Deve Gowda.
The power struggle has taken a casteist angle too as the two Gowdas belong to Vokkaliga caste while Yeddyurappa hails from Lingayat caste. The two caste groups are rivals for political power and have been dominating the state politics for a long time.
The state is scheduled for assembly elections in April-May next year. The BJP came to power for the first time in Karnataka in May 2008.
- Gadkari tries to end Karnataka power struggle - Feb 24, 2012
- Gadkari rules out immediate reinstatement of Yeddyurappa (Second Lead) - Feb 24, 2012
- Karnataka power struggle hits BJP 'morality session' (Lead) - Feb 24, 2012
- BJP plans morality lessons for Karnataka lawmakers - Feb 14, 2012
- Ahead of Gadkari visit, Karnataka BJP infighting intensifies - Feb 22, 2012
- For the sake of power, BJP lives with indiscipline (Karnataka Newsletter) - Feb 26, 2012
- BJP's moral halo is fading rapidly (News Analysis) - Feb 08, 2012
- Caste-based religious leaders muddy BJP power struggle (Karnataka Newsletter) - Mar 25, 2012
- Karnataka BJP caught in deadline politics - Feb 24, 2012
- BJP faces embarrassment, trouble as polls near (Karnataka Newsletter) - May 12, 2012
- Crisis in Karnataka BJP worsens - May 10, 2012
- Karnataka sleazegate: three ministers quit (Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- Porn incident unfortunate, BJP took action: Gadkari - Feb 08, 2012
- Sadananda Gowda in Delhi, Yeddyurappa calls him 'traitor' (Lead) - May 13, 2012
- Gowda safe for now; Yeddyurappa insists on reinstatement (Second Lead) - Mar 22, 2012
Tags: central leaders, chief minister, corruption charges, former prime minister, krishna, legislative council, legislators, luncheon meeting, manthan, moral values, parliament, parliament members, party leaders, party members, power struggle, predecessor, six months, stares, targetted, unquestioned leader