Yeddy's emissaries meet BJP top leaders

Press Trust Of India / New Delhi/bangalore November 02, 2009, 0:42 IST

Attacks dissidents of trying to destabilise his govt.

The deadlock between rival camps in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka persisted today with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s emissaries claiming the party’s brass gave an assurance of no change of guard while the dissidents kept the leadership issue still open.

The BJP’s top leadership stepped in to defuse the crisis in its government and met the emissaries, as the war of words between the two sides continued unabated. Yeddyurappa attacked the dissidents of trying to destabilise his government at a time when the state was grappling with the worst of floods, while the rival camp led by his ministerial colleagues — the powerful Reddy brothers from Bellary — accused him of “cheating” the people.

“The central leadership, especially (BJP’s pointsman for resolving the crisis) Arun Jaitley, made it very clear that there will be no change in leadership,” Karnataka BJP unit chief Sadananda Gowda, who led the emissaries comprising state MPs and ministers for a series of meetings with central leaders, including BJP chief Rajnath Singh and L K Advani in New Delhi. Admitting that there were some “small differences” between senior colleagues in the Cabinet, he told reporters these would be sorted out in “a day or two”. Home Minister V S Acharya was among the emissaries.

“We met L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj and all of them were of the same view that the leadership in Karnataka will not be changed. They have a firm view on this,” Yeddyurappa’s emissary and former MP Dhananjay Kumar said. However, sources in the dissident camp said the change in leadership issue was still open. The Reddy brothers — Janardhan Reddy and G Karunakar Reddy — are expected to arrive in the national capital tomorrow.

A day after indicating his willingness for a patch-up with the rebels led by ministers Karunakara Reddy, Janardhana Reddy and Sreeramulu, who have been spearheading a campaign to oust him, Yeddyurappa said “some politicians” were “fighting for the chair”.