Thaindian News

Bangalore, Jan 12 (IANS) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka Thursday apologized to its cadres and supporters for the unseemly fight on the leadership issue, a day after a dressing down by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“We apologise to party workers and supporters who were upset by the minor problems in the organization. Our senior leaders have given us guidance and all of us will work accordingly,” state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa told reporters in the pilgrim centre of Mantralaya, about 450 km north of Bangalore on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.

“There was no discussion on any position to be given to me. My main aim is to make BJP unbeatable in the state and Congress and Janata Dal-Secular irrelevant,” former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said in his home town Shimoba, about 28o km north of Bangalore.

Both said all state leaders will tour the state together to strengthen the party and also the government.

The unity tune followed Wednesday meeting senior state RSS functionaries had with these two leaders along with chief minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda and several ministers here.

The RSS intervened following public squabble over the Yeddyurappa’s reported demand to made chief minister again or given the state party president’s post or officially declared as the supreme leader of the state unit.

With central leaders not showing interest, Yeddyurappa had slammed Eshwarappa last week saying the state party chief was responsible for sending him to jail.

Yeddyurappa, who quit July 31 over corruption charges, spent 21 days in Bangalore jail in Oct-Nov last year in connection with two corruption cases.