Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday indirectly hit out at his detractors within the party, who held a meeting allegedly to muster support against him, by stating that his present focus was only to fight COVID-19 and he was not bothered about other issues.
“My present focus is only preventing spread of COVID-19. I am completely involved in it. I am not bothered about other issues and would not even like to react,” the Chief Minister told a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, while responding to queries on the recent incidents of some of the disgruntled MLAs, mostly from North Karnataka, trying to raise a banner of revolt against his leadership.
‘Ideal strategy’
The CM’s tough stance is being seen in the political circles as a strategy to deal with rebels in a stern manner and show them in poor light as they have indulged in rebellion at the time of COVID-19 crisis gripping the nation.
Sources in the BJP State unit said that the CM’s camp was of the view that it would be difficult for the rebels to seek Central leadership’s intervention at a time when COVID-19 cases are seeing a sharp increase. “Perhaps, this is the reason why the CM may have decided to ignore the rebels at least for public perception,” a BJP State leader said.
Ministerial expansion
Several BJP MLAs from North Karnataka, especially those belonging to the Lingayat community to which the Chief Minister also belongs, held a meeting recently in which they reportedly expressed displeasure over his style of functioning.
The rebellion has come just ahead of elections to the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council. Also it is being speculated that most of the rebels have set their eyes on Ministerial berths, hoping for a possible Ministerial expansion soon after the Legislative Council polls.