By Firoz.T.Totanawala
The Bangalore Metro Reporter
THE FIGHT WITHIN!
YEDURAPPA TAKES ON ADVANI. LOYALISTS BOYCOTT VISIT
Former Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa has gone to the extent of challenging Advani. He successfully made his loyal Ministers, MPs and MLAs to boycott the Jan Chetana Yatra of L. K. Advani and the BJP is still silent on this open insult.
L. K. Advani’s public function in Bangalore was doubtful in first place as Home Minister and Bangalore In charge Minister R. Ashok faced the FIR by the Lokayukta police. Moreover, it was embarrassing for Advani to bring his fight against corruption Yatra to Karnataka where the BJP’s Former CM B. S. Yeddyurappa was in jail accompanied by three other former Ministers. Another former Minister Janardhana Reddy is languishing in Hyderabad Jail! Two more ministers R. Ashok and Murugesh Nirani are facing FIR registered by the Lokayukta police against them. Besides, some more ministers are in the queue to face the probes for all their omissions and commissions.
It was therefore difficult for Advani to talk against corruption in Karnataka. But, Advani stood firm on the public meeting in Bangalore and the State BJP saved the day by entrusting the responsibility of the public meeting arrangement to Prahlad Joshi, an MP.
It may be recalled that a couple of days before his Bangalore programme, Advani had publicly castigated Yedurappa and his corruption soaked government. He stated that Yedurappa was asked many times by the BJP High Command to mend his ways but he did not care. Yedurappa’s answer to Advani’s statement was boycott and the message was loud and clear to all including the BJP high command and his loyalist Chief Minister D.V.Sadananda Gowda.
Yedurappa’s loyalist Ministers like Shobha Karandlaje, Basavaraj Bommai, Nirani, Renukacharya, Umesh Katti, C.M.Udasi, V.Somanna etc. stayed away from Advani’s yatra. The state BJP President K.S.Eswarappa sealed his lips and tried to make the boycott a non-issue. In fact, even Advani tried to wish it away saying that as the BJP High Command has become tough on corruption and Yedurappa was removed for the same reason, his supporters have acted that way.
Of course, Sadananda Gowda accompanied Advani during his Yatra in the state and made his presence felt in the rallies and public meetings through his plain speeches and pledging to fight against corruption. In fact, Advani had all praise for Sadananda Gowda and assured the people that he will give honest and transparent rule in the state.
Now BJP, a so called cadre based party with ‘inbuilt’ discipline is vertically divided into pro and anti Yedurappa groups. Some of his loyalists excused their absence on the pretext of participating in the funeral of a pontiff or some other private engagements. Some said that the BJP had not made it compulsory for them to attend the meeting and some took the plea that they were busy touring and studying the drought situation in their constituencies. But then, if they could not attend the Bangalore program, they could have attended the same in Mangalore and Udupi.
In fact, Sadananda Gowda also played down the boycott and declared that no action will be taken against the ‘absentee’ leaders. However, there are more probabilities for the BJP to take some action at the very right time against the absentees for insulting Advani.
And now the turning point is that Yedurappa is out of jail on bail. Now, he may embark on statewide tour holding public meetings and blaming, the JDS, Congress and also his own party leaders who have conspired to finish him. And it is possible that Yedurappa may deliberately indulge in all such tantrums to force the High Command to take some action against him and his loyalists. Once the High Command takes some action, Yedurappa may pose himself as a ‘Martyr’ and seek public sympathy. He may even float a regional party of this own.
Arguably, if Yedurappa’s plans are put to practice, the state will witness a political turmoil and may be elections in a few months.
And that is all.
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