In show of unity, Yediyurappa attends BJP event chaired by Nadda

Veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa showed up at a party event in Koppal on Thursday, attended by its national president JP Nadda, diffusing a potential political crisis in the party's state unit.

The 79-year old former chief minister attended the programme after the BJP's central leadership intervened and had a telephonic conversation with him on Thursday in a bid to nip any political differences in the bud.

Nadda visited Karnataka to open the party's district office at Koppal in the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region, and Yediyurappa's absence would have pushed the state BJP unit into a crisis at a time when the party is struggling to win over voters ahead of the crucial assembly polls scheduled in about five months. Yediyurappa, who is also the tallest political figure from the Lingayat community, had been avoiding party events unless there was a specific request from the central leadership.

People close to him said the BJP parliamentary board member had no plans to visit the Nadda event at Koppal as there was no invitation for him from the party. However, he decided to attend the rally after his name was included later in the evening.

Yediyurappa staying away from two recent party events triggered speculation of the veteran leader keeping a distance from party affairs. That he was keeping away from even chief minister Basavaraj Bommai became evident after the two leaders chose to return in two separate aircraft from Gujarat on December 12.