Bangalore: Discontent Simmering Among the State BJP Ranks
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jul 10: The expansion of the state ministry lined up for later today, has given rise to an air of discontent among the ranks and files of the state BJP. It is strange but true, that the BJP which is getting stronger by the day with the infusion of fresh legislators from other parties, is suffering from the erosion in the hopes of it's own legislators who were aspiring to bag some meaty posts.
The exercise is not creating heartburns for BJP's cadres alone. The newcomers too are reportedly unhappy as everyone of them cannot be accommodated in top jobs. The legislators who defected to the BJP by sinking their parent parties, apparently did so with an eye on ministerial berths. It is said, that the BJP leaders including the chief minister, were not inclined to induct Shivanagouda Nayak, MLA of Devadurg who shifted loyalties from the JDS, but the party had to bend to the wishes of ministers Janardan Reddy and Sriramulu who were instrumental in bringing him in. It is gathered, that the chief minister wanted to keep one ministerial post vacant, for satisfying the disgruntled partymen who are peeved at not getting the ministership, later.
But now with the induction of three defectors, Balachandra Jarkiholi, Anand Asnotikar and Shivanagouda Nayak, the chief minister is not left anything to offer to the discontented partymen!
The old guard within the BJP too is nursing a grouse against the party leadership. Shankaralinge Gowda from Mysore, Narayanaswami from Anekal, C T Ravi from Chikmagalur etc., were hoping to make the grade at the formation of the minstry itself. They are waiting in the wings, hoping that decades of their allegiance and struggle for the BJP will bring them some rewards. They are likely to become frustrated with the latest development.
In the meanwhile, there are also indications, that the BJP in a last ditch effort, may induct only two ministers today, retaining the other avilable berth for accommodating it's own partymen later. There is a large group of people within the BJP who are affront to the damage the image of the party suffers due to the latest adventures of the mining lords, who have been successful in bringing in new faces into the party but this has also been delivering blows to the fabric of a party that was shouting from the rooftops that it was a 'clean' party that is truely patriotic and it's leaders had been claiming that the defectors came to the party fold, duly agreeing to the principles and policies of the party and not out of greed of any post. If this is so, why is every newcomer offered with a ministerial berth or chairmanship of the corporation, the old timers question.