Bengaluru: Playing down the simmering discontent among the disgruntled legislators who missed a cabinet berth again, Karnataka BJP has denied any revolt brewing against Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. "An unsigned letter in Kannada circulating in the social media is bogus, as it was fabricated in the name of Santosh, a private secretary to Yediyurappa. No revolt is brewing against the Chief Minister," party spokesman G Madhusudhana had told IANS on February 19.
In the second cabinet expansion on February 6, only 10 newly-elected legislators, who defected from the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in July 2019, were inducted, leaving the party`s many aspiring lawmakers miffed. "The talk of about 20 loyal MLAs ganging up against Yediyurappa is speculation as rumour mills are working overtime. No rebellion is brewing against the Chief Minister," the official had asserted.
On the charge that Yediyurappa`s younger son BY Vijayandra was acting like a `super or de facto CM` and medalling in the state administration, Madhusudhana said the latter was only assisting his father in party activities as he was also a party worker. "As Yediyurappa is 76 years old and ageing, Vijayandra is helping his father in party affairs so that he (Chief Minister) could be free to attend to administration," Madhusudhana had said.
Yediyurappa`s elder son BY Raghavendra is a three-time BJP Lok Sabha member from Shimoga in the state`s Malnad area. With six cabinet posts vacant in the 34-member ministry, many legislators, including eight-time MLA Umesh Katti, are upset that they have not been rewarded for their loyalty to the party even six months after the BJP returned to power again in the southern state.
On the purported meeting of about 20 BJP MLAs at the residence of state Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar on February 17, Madhusudhana said it was a "get-together" as they were all in Bengaluru again to attend the budget session of the state legislature which began on February 17. "There is no crisis in the party. Our government is stable and will complete the remaining three-year term in office till May 2023," he had added.
