Amit Shah's reiteration of 'next CM BSY' is a stern message for those within BJP

Amit Shah visited the Adichunchanagiri Mutt on Saturday, a prominent Vokkaliga mutt

In the last 24 hours, BJP National President Amit Shah has referred to B S Yeddyurappa as the future Chief Minister of Karnataka at least half a dozen times. The reiteration is a message for those within the party more than for outsiders. With that one phrase, Shah has demanded that all dissent within the party be buried.

If there were any doubts left about who BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate would be in the 2018 Karnataka assembly elections, Amit Shah has just decimated it. The message is loud and clear 'decision is ours, work is yours'. In a series of meeting held on Saturday and Sunday, all that Amit Shah has asked the cadres to do is not stop working.

"There was no need for Amit Shah to keep repeating that Yeddyurappa is the BJP's chief ministerial candidate. He did for a reason. The intent was to drive home the point that decision on that front has already been made and neither leaders from the party nor from the ideological headquarters have a say anymore," said a source from the party.

Leaders and party workers from the district and ward levels have been asked to set their differences aside and work for the organisation. The rift in the senior leadership of the state had trickled down to the grassroots level. In every ward and district, especially in the Shimoga region, cadres were divided into groups. Amit Shah's reiteration of who B S Yeddyurappa is is aimed at demolishing the division.

"The rift between two tall leaders of the state unit is no secret but you did see K S Eshwarappa telling the workers that the aim is to make B S Yeddyurappa the Chief Minister. He understands what the central leadership wants. Now is not the time for division and he is a senior leader who understands that organisation comes first," said another BJP leader.

Some within the party, however, continued to believe that B S Yeddyurappa may be the CM face but things may turn out differently after the election results. "Yes, he is the CM face but is there a chance for change in decisions? One can be too sure only after the BJP wins the elections," said a leader who is part of neither groups within the BJP. For now, Shah has put things into perspective. While he lashed out at the state leaders for failing to demand D K Shivakumar's resignation post the IT raids, he also encouraged them to be battle-ready. The BJP is readying itself to face elections as early as November or December this year.

OneIndia News