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Shobha Karandlaje bogey scares off KJP aspirants

The recent developments in the party appear to be heading the other way as those MLAs and ministers who promised to be with him through thick and thin were showing ‘Shobha phobia’.

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The Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) is facing a piquant situation even as it has been seen as a potential threat to the prospects of the BJP in the state in the assembly elections this year. KJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa may be nursing the ambition of becoming the kingmaker by swiping a few MLAs from the BJP kitty during the elections, but that will happen only when he has winning candidates.

But the recent developments in the party appear to be heading the other way as those MLAs and ministers who promised to be with him through thick and thin were showing ‘Shobha phobia’. This could be the reason behind Yeddyurappa’s loyalists sticking to the BJP. There are senior members like CM Udasi, Umesh Katti, V Somanna and younger leaders like Renukacharya who are wary of the fact that Shobha Karandlaje, a close confidante of Yeddyurappa, may boss over them if KJP musters enough support in the next assembly elections, according to some leaders.

Yeddyurappa had mentored Shobha to carry his own brand of leadership in the BJP. “We were shocked when Yeddyurappa sent Shobha to brief the press after the very first cabinet meeting after the BJP government in 2008. This was despite the presence of senior colleagues like late VS Acharya, Ramachandra Gowda and Suresh Kumar in the cabinet. This trend continued throughout the tenure of Yeddyurappa in the BJP. How can we be sure that he will not put her in charge again?” a BJP leader, who has been hobnobbing with KJP, asked on the condition of anonymity.

Workers in Mysore where Shobha had worked as the district in charge minister after being elected from Yeshwanthpur assembly constituency, said they had seen how she had tried to put down DV Sadananda Gowda in party circles. In the BJP even Yeddyurappa had to bow to the decisions of the high command.

However, in KJP the workers will have only Yeddyurappa as the leader and if he gives more weightage to the words of Shobha, what would happen to those who join KJP after dumping the BJP? This is the question which appears to be haunting them.

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