Close on the heels of the Cabinet expansion, some senior disgruntled MLAs of the BJP appear to have raised the banner of revolt against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
Some of the party’s old-timers met at the residence of senior leader and Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar in Bengaluru on Monday night to express their displeasure with the “functioning style” of Mr. Yediyurappa.
This comes days after an anonymous letter was released seeking replacement of Mr. Yediyurappa citing alleged age-related health issues. But the disgruntled leaders are learnt to have decided against precipitating the matter till March-end as they do not want the budget session to be affected.
On his part, Mr. Shettar on Tuesday denied that a meeting had taken place at his house. He said it was just an “informal gathering of MLAs” to discuss various development issues.
Concerned by this, the Chief Minister is learnt to have summoned Mr. Shettar to his house on Tuesday morning to know what exactly transpired at the meeting. According to sources, Mr. Shettar made it clear that he would not go against Mr. Yediyurappa’s leadership and that he was not part of any disgruntled group.
However, it is learnt that a senior party leader conveyed to the CM the feelings of the “disgruntled leaders” who held the meeting. The leader is believed to have told Mr. Yediyurappa that the party old-timers, especially senior MLAs, have complained of alleged interference in administration of his son B.Y. Vijayendra.