Sadanada Gowda re-elected as BJP Karnataka President

Bangalore, Dec 17(UNI) D V Sadananda Gowda, has been re-elected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka Unit President, Party National General Secretary Om Prakash Mathur announced here today.

Speaking to newsmen after attending the State BJP Council meeting here, Mr Mathur said Mr Gowda was elected unanimously as there were no other nomination was received.

Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha Member Venkaiah Naidu, who also present on the occasion, said although the party had witnessed some lobbying for the post, it was not encouraged by the central leaders. ''The unanimous election of Mr Gowda has proved there were no differences among the leaders and everybody would strive for the success of the party in the coming elections.'' Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who was also present, said initiatives taken to provide good governance started yielding results. He said there was a need to take the party's programmes and policies and the achievements of the coalition government to the people, in order to keep the Congress at bay. He favoured extension of the BJP-JD(S) alliance to the coming civic and Assembly elections. He also expressed confidence that in the next assembly election' the BJP and JD(S) alliance would get the majority and come back to power again.

BJP National General Secretary Ananth Kumar, MP and Mr Gowda declared there were no differences within the State unit and everybody would work for strengthening the party in the State.

It may be recalled that present incubant D V Sadananda Gowda was made the state party chief after Jagadish Shettar, who was inducted into the Coalition government as the Revenue Minister seven months ago, faced stiff opposition from within the party for his re-election. However, after several rounds of meetings with the state leaders, the central party favoured him.

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