Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Aug 10: It is learnt that the national leaders of the BJP have put paid to the aspirations of the state Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, who had planned to strengthen his position by indulging in Operation Kamala, expanding the ministry by dropping independent ministers, and joining hands with the JDS if necessary. Yeddyurappa badly wanted to consolidate his position through these exercises, but he has been strictly told by his bosses to wait for the time being. His plans did not get the support of the core committee that met here on Sunday, and as a result, the scene of action had been shifted to New Delhi.

It is learnt, that when the issue cropped up, even state BJP president, K S Eshwarappa, expressed his opposition to the ministry expansion plan. His argument was that the party will earn the wrath of seniors, if juniors like Shobha Karandlaje and V Somanna are inducted into the ministry. National president of the party, Nitin Gadkari, too concurred with this view, sources said. The national leadership of the party also is not in favour of any fresh bouts of Operation Kamala to wrest MLAs from other parties, or joining hands with the JDS, as it wants to have more ministers, who have grown with the party.

The Chief Minister, it is said, wanted to attract ten legislators from the Congress and JDS or alternatively, to have truck with the JDS, to improve his position, so as to strengthen his base vis-à-vis the mining barons from Bellary. However, the national president and other leaders opposed such moves. The meeting that lasted for 150 minutes at New Delhi, was attended by BJP leader in charge of state affairs, Shantakumar, general secretary, Anant Kumar, state BJP president, K S Eshwarappa, former state president, D V Sadanand Gowda, minister, Jagadish Shettar etc.

The national leaders reportedly told the CM that they will handle the Reddy brothers, who have of late, been causing embarrassment to the state government. They told Yeddyurappa not to take any one-sided decisions. He has been asked to prod the ministers to perform better, and to put on hold his ambitious plans till the conclusion of taluk and zilla panchayat elections scheduled to be held by December this year.