Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 28: The BJP top brass was forced to issue a ‘strict warning’ on Monday night, after dissent over cabinet portfolios within Karnataka BJP, started coming out in the open.
“If you don’t stop expressing unhappiness, you will be sacked,” the simple yet stern warning has silenced the disgruntled MLAs, who in the past few days were not shying from expressing their displeasure to the media.
Appointment of Govind Karjol, C N Ashwath Narayan and Laxman Savadi as deputy chief ministers has pinched many BJP leaders. Senior leaders K S Eshwarappa, C T Ravi, R Ashoka, Jagadish Shettar and B Sriramalu apparently felt their portfolios were lower to that of the deputy CM. News that the ministers are contemplating to quit came out in the open.
However, the Monday night’s warning has started showing its effect.
CT Ravi took to twitter to express his loyalty towards the party in a series of tweets.
Meanwhile, K S Eshwarappa, the former deputy CM also took to twitter. “Our focus should solely be on the development of the state. We should get going on the responsibilities given to us by the party leadership. Show of protests or disgruntlement must be discouraged,” he tweeted.
Shettar said he has no interest in becoming deputy CM and dismissed the discontentment as ‘minor’ and ‘common’.
Sources reveal that the CM was told by the top brass that indiscipline will not be tolerated and the ministers who are posing problems for the smooth functioning of the government should be dropped from the cabinet.
Sriramulu, who has received the portfolio of health minister, has been asked to instruct his followers to stop protests, for not making him deputy CM.
Meanwhile, there was a buzz within the party that appointing three deputy CMs aimed to undermine Yediyurappa. To this, Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra replied, “Yediyurappa would not have been the CM, if he was undermined. It was a unanimous decision of the party.”