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Vijayendra holds meeting of ex-legislators, leaders to strengthen Karnataka BJP ahead of Panchayat polls
BJP Karnataka president B Y Vijayendra met with former legislators to strategize for strengthening the party ahead of panchayat elections.
Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Friday held a meeting with party's former legislators and defeated candidates in Assembly polls to chalk out a strategy to strengthen the party from the grassroot level and prepare it for the upcoming panchayat elections.
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Asserting that he intends to take the party unitedly and strengthen it, Vijayendra tried to downplay the factionalism within the state BJP and opposition to him from a section of leaders.
He also hit out at the ruling Congress while highlighting the "power politics" between CM Siddaramiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and accused the government of "zero development".
BJP veteran and the party's parliamentary board member B S Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, Opposition leader in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, among other leaders, participated in the meeting.
"In today's meeting we have discussed further strengthening the party, by taking all the communities and sections into confidence, and facing the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat polls," Vijayendra said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, as a political party there will be small differences and confusions, which is being looked into by the central leadership, "but our duty is to work together unitedly towards strengthening the party."
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Ruling out that the meeting was anyway a show of strength against his detractors in the party, the MLA from Shikaripura said the meeting was not against anyone or was with the intention to expel someone, and it was only to strengthen the party by taking along everyone.
A section within the state BJP led by senior MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi, are critical of state leadership, especially Vijayendra.
Yatnal and Jarkiholi have been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress. They have also criticised him and his father -- veteran leader Yediyurappa-- for trying to keep the party under their clutches.
The meeting also discussed the political developments in the state.
Vijayendra said the Congress government in the name of guarantee schemes is pushing the state to a very bad stage. There is "zero development".
Highlighting maternal deaths, suicides and corruptions among other issues, he said, people and also the ruling party leaders and legislators themselves are "tired" of this government and the CM.
Recalling Shivakumar's statement in the Assembly last month, where he had said that his astrologer had suggested that he "snatch" the power, if he wanted it, Vijayendra commenting on the political developments in the ruling Congress amid speculations about CM change by March, urged Siddaramiah and Shivakumar to explain the "power sharing formula".
"According to our information, Siddaramaiah's tenure is ending, so he, too, has begun his game. He has begun 'dinner politics' and in his favour some ministers are making various kinds of statements...on the other hand, Shivakumar is also trying to follow his astrologer's advice. So things will play out in the days ahead," he added.
Yediyurappa, speaking to reporters separately, after the meeting, said, "Under the leadership of state president Vijayendra there have been good discussions and from next week he and other leaders will travel across the state and meet party workers in every district to prepare for the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat and other polls."
