The Hindu

BANGALORE, Mar 13: Some veterans of the Bharatiya Janata Party who had decided to launch a “Save BJP” campaign against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s alleged “one-man show” in running the party have put their campaign on hold.

The decision was taken by the rebels after Yeddyurappa held consultations with some of them, including B.B. Shivappa, a former State Bharatiya Janata Party president, at his residence on Thursday.

Earlier, a few veteran leaders announced that they would launch the campaign in protest against ‘Operation Lotus’, under which the party roped in leaders from the Opposition and fielded them as its candidates in elections. The announcement of the decision to launch the “Save BJP” campaign had evoked good response from party workers in different parts of the State who expressed their support for the campaign.

Embarrassment

This had not only embarrassed the party leadership but also became a cause for concern as it would have sent the wrong signal to its supporters just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Therefore, the party leadership launched a damage-control exercise to convince the disgruntled leaders to wait till after the Lok Sabha polls to find a solution to the issues raised by them.

After meeting the Chief Minister, Shivappa said Yeddyurappa had promised them that prominence would be given to loyal party workers. But Yeddyurappa wanted time till the Lok Sabha polls were over as the entire party organisation was focussing its attention on the elections.

Another disgruntled party veteran, S. Mallikarjunaiah, Tumkur MP, was also present during the consultations on Thursday.  Mallikarjunaiah, who was upset that the party had nominated his political opponent and Congress leader who joined the BJP to contest from Tumkur, had raised the banner of revolt.

However, he has now written to the party’s prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, stating that he accepted the party’s decision to nominate another candidate in his place and that he would strive for the success of BJP candidates in the State.

However, the former Union Minister of State for Railways Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal is yet to bury the hatchet. Party sources said efforts were on to organise talks between him and Yeddyurappa.