BJP acts tough; axe falls on two BS Yeddyurappa loyalists

In a move to curb rising dissidence within state BJP, two Yeddyurappa loyalists Dhananjay Kumar and Ayanur Manjunath were on Saturday suspended from their party posts as spokespersons.

Deputy chief minister and the party president KS Eshwarappa had ordered the suspensions. Both Manjunath and Kumar had strongly supported the former chief minister and launched an offensive against BJP leaders, including deputy chief minister R Ashoka.

The move came after Yeddyurappa had demanded the resignation of Eshwarappa from the posts deputy chief minister and revenue minister. He had thrown an open challenge to him to continue as the party president and lead it to the victory in the upcoming assembly elections.

Eshwarappa had not reacted to Yeddyurappa’s remarks then and sources said his present move is a message to warn Yeddyurappa against his frequent attacks on BJP government and party high command.

They also observed that the party leaders have revealed their weakness by sparing Yeddyurappa and targeting second rung leaders. Manjunath and Kumar have said they will raise the issue with chief minister Jagadish Shettar.

Siddu slams BSY
Meanwhile, opposition leader Siddaramaiah slammed the former chief minister for being power hungry. Reacting to Yeddyurappa’s earlier remark that he had taken the responsibility of opposition leader since Siddaramaiah has failed to deliver, the Congress leader said that Yeddyurappa is desperate since his party had not given him any job.

As for Yeddyurappa’s another charge that he did not attend the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) meeting despite being in New Delhi, the opposition leader said he was neither invited for the meeting nor he was a CRA member.