The situation in the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is on the boil once again, with the Supreme Court expected to pass orders, on Thursday, on the recommendation of the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee for an investigation by an independent agency into charges against several mining companies and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Sources in the BJP told The Hindu that a letter has been sent to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda by a section of party legislators, including some Ministers, demanding a meeting of the BJP legislature party, to discuss some important issues. They include a letter written by the Chief Minister and State party president K.S. Eshwarappa to national party president Nitin Gadkari seeking disciplinary action against six Ministers, all loyal to Mr. Yeddyurappa.
The Chief Minister has said that the letter to Mr. Gadkari was written three months ago, although the Yeddyurappa camp maintains that the letter was written a few days back.
The office of the Chief Minister has clarified that no letter has been received from legislators seeking a legislature party meeting, while the legislators say that it has been submitted to the Chief Minister, with a copy to the party high command.
It is evident that the latest development, with some others in the recent past, has a direct bearing on Mr. Yeddyurappa's demand to be reinstated as Chief Minister. The orders of the apex court will determine key developments — change of leadership, expansion of the Sadananda Gowda Cabinet, reshuffle of portfolios, etc. — over the next few days.
The legislators have been demanding a meeting of the legislature party for several months. The Chief Minister and the party leadership have refrained from calling the meeting primarily to prevent the situation from going out of control, with maybe even the adoption of a resolution against the incumbent leader. Of the 120 BJP legislators, the Yeddyurappa faction claims the support of 70.
