Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has denied that there is infighting in the State BJP cadre. “Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has been giving good administration and the party high command too has commended him on his work,” he said.
“The State government is not on a ventilator. The lungs of this government are functioning well; hence, there is no need for a ventilator,” he said.
He was speaking to journalists after participating in a Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha programme in Dharwad on Sunday. “That there are problems in the State BJP is a myth created by the media. The BJP’s house is in order and well controlled and the organisation is well knit,” he said.
According to him, visits by some MLAs to the Suttur Mutt in Mysuru were to pay respect to the seer’s mother who passed away recently. Such developments should not be seen as political, he said.
Mr. Joshi reacted to Minister C.P. Yogeshwar’s statement that some MLAs had written exams and it was up to the high command to pass or fail them, saying that he had no idea in which university Mr. Yogeshwar had given those examinations.
“But, we know for sure that BJP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh is the vice-chancellor of the university and he has already declared the result in favour of Chief Minister Mr. Yediyurappa,’’ he said.
About a possible expansion or reshuffle of the Union Cabinet, Mr. Joshi said that it was the prerogative power of the Prime Minister to expand his Cabinet or take up reshuffling.
“No other Ministers in his Cabinet can comment on this,’’ he said.
As of now, there is no information on either the expansion or reshuffle or who will be inducted or expelled. It is media speculation that some Ministers may be dropped and some new ones may be inducted.
“But nothing will be known well in advance in the Modi government and I cannot comment on such issues,” the Minister said.