B L Santosh influences BJP top brass to keep Shobha out from core committee

Bengaluru, July 10: Keeping out BJP MP, Shobha Karandlaje from the Karnataka BJP core committee against the wish of the state president B S Yeddyurappa, the Deputy General Secretary (Organisation), national BJP, B L Santosh stamped strong signal of his interference in Karnataka politics.

Top sources in the BJP tell OneIndia that episode of internal bickering that came to fore recently through senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa; was a political screen play of B L Santosh and Parliamentary Afire Minister Ananth Kumar.

It could be recalled that K S Eshwarappa raised strong objections against style of functioning of Yeddyurappa. He even tapped B L Santosh and national BJP General Secretary Ram Lal to resolve the problem for the miffed BJP cadre.

A source close to B S Yeddyurappa quipped, "it is like B L Santosh guiding K S Eshwarappa to meet him on the pretext of infighting which was fuelled by Santosh himself."

Firstly, Santosh is unhappy over BJP top brass appointing Yeddyurappa as the BJP president. Santosh till last moment made effort to elevate Dakshina Kannada BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to the president post.

However, National BJP President Amith Shah was reluctant to listen to Santosh who was backed by Ananth Kumar in his endeavour as Shah preferred merit over influence. This decision of Shah rendered setback for Santosh and Ananth Kumar, the source informed.

But this time around, B L Santosh and his faction managed to blow internal differences out of proportion forcing the top rung of the BJP to step into iron out this differences in favour of Santosh. Hence top leadership instructed to keep close confident of Yeddyurappa, Shobha out of the committee and give more representation to faction headed by Santosh, sources said.

The 12 members of the core committee are Yeddyurappa, H N Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar, K S Eshwarappa, R Ashok, Prahlad Joshi, Nalin Kumar Kateel, C T Ravi, Arvind Limbavali, C M Udasi and Govind Karjo.

Fresh decision may backfire

Fresh decision in connection to core committee may backfire the BJP itself. Further interference in Yeddyurappa's decisions will trigger massive infighting in the BJP.

Given the fact that presence of Nalin Kumar Kateel, Ananth Kumar, and D V Sadananda Gowda in the core committee, there is likely interference in the decisions of the state president.

A source said, Yeddyurappa may step down as president and ask the top leaders to induct Santosh's team member for the same and challenge to galvanise 150 seats for the BJP in the upcoming 2018 assembly elections.

But no leaders other than Yeddyurappa in Karnataka enjoy crowd pulling to the extent of his, sources added.

OneIndia News