Karnataka's unit's problems 'substantially sorted out':

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The BJP today claimed that the problems within its Karnataka unit, where a senior leader called for the removal of the Deputy Chief Minister, have been 'substantially sorted out.' BJP Spokesman Arun Jaitley denied that there was 'crisis' situation within the Karnataka BJP where party MP and former Union Minister Basavaraj Patil Yetnal openly sought the removal of Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for showing 'undue favour' by proposing to include a female MLC in the the state Cabinet disregarding the claims of senior party leaders.

Though Mr Yediyurappa, who was here to attend the meeting of the BJP National Executive, was not ready to talk about the issue, sources said he had explained his position to BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Sanjay Joshi and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi about the allegations levelled against him. State Water Resources Minister K S Eswarappa and state unit chief Sadananda Gowda were present along with Mr Yediyurappa.

A key BJP functionary said that it was ''foolish'' on the part of Mr Yetnal to have made such a statement. ''Nobody has taken these statements seriously at the central level. The MP may be asked to submit himself to party discipline,'' he indicated.

However, in his address, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bemoaned the state of affairs and said there was something 'wrong' in members themselves creating problems for the party.

Noting that in Karnataka, the BJP had won because of people's support, he said ''outsiders cannot create problems for us but if the root of the problem lies within our own home, there is essentially something wrong.'' In a related development, another Karnataka MP Ramesh Jigajinagi, who had taken exception to the selection process adopted by the state BJP for choosing the nominees for the Karnataka Legislature Council, clarified to Mr Yediyurappa that he had not levelled any personal allegations against anybody. The state party, however, is unhappy that he chose to approach the media instead of raising the issue within the party, sources said.

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