Daijiworld Media Network - Kalaburagi (SP)

Kalaburagi, May 7: Frenzied behind-the-scene activities are going on to grab the post of the state president of the BJP, as this post is likely to fall vacant as BJP is serious on strictly enforcing its one-man, one-post principle.

Although there have been a number of people from southern Karnataka interested to bag this post, several north Karnataka leaders have now upped the ante and begun to seek this position. Yeddyurappa, who holds the post of the leader of the opposition in the assembly along with the state BJP president, has shown interest to retain the post of the leader of the opposition in the assembly. The party plans to relieve him from the position of the state president by next month, it is said.

The aspirants from North Karnataka point out that BJP is getting most of its support in the state from north Karnataka and therefore the position of the state president should go to a leader from this region. Even if the post-poll result scenario paves way for the BJP to form the government, the leaders from north Karnataka are sure to put further pressure on their demand for the post of the state president. There is also a speculation that the north Karnataka leaders might have been propped up by Yeddyurappa to seek this position, so as to be able to get a person of his choice to become his successor.

Leaders from north Karnataka like Umesh Katti, BJP state farmers morcha president, Laxman Savadi, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Govind Karjol and C C Patil have evinced interest in donning this role, it is said. At the same time, former deputy chief minister, R Ashok, Chikkamagaluru MLA, C T Ravi, and some others are interested in becoming state BJP president. Yatnal says that having contributed immensely to the BJP's strength by electing maximum representatives, north Karntaka naturally has rightful claim over this post. He said that he is insistent on getting this post for his region, duly reminding the party leadership that this post has not been given on contract to the people of a specific region.