Running parallel forum to BJP not acceptable: Muralidhar Rao

P Muralidhar Rao, BJP general secretary in charge of Karnataka, on Sunday said action would be taken against leaders issuing ‘street statements’ that are denting the image of the party.

Speaking to reporters here, Rao said all issues would have to be resolved within the party forums.

While saying so, Rao left Bengaluru, without giving any hint on whether the party would take action against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and his bête noire K S Eshwarappa.

On April 27, Yeddyurappa had directly blamed RSS leader B L Santhosh for the rift in the party. On the same day, Eshwarappa accused Yeddyurappa of taking unilateral decisions.

Rao was sent by the Delhi leaders to diffuse the open feud between the two leaders. It is said Rao will submit a report on the developments in Karnataka to the party’s national president Amit Shah in a day or two.

Rao said the party would not tolerate anyone running a parallel forum either in the name of a brigade or any other name. Thus, he clearly indicated that Eshwarappa should not get associated with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade or conduct ‘Save BJP’ conventions like he did on April 27.

“Ours is a party with adequate inner-party democracy and has a tradition of dealing with such issues in party forums. I repeat and reiterate that there is no need for
anybody to float any organisation outside the party. This is not Karnataka-specific, but applicable at the national level as well as to other states,” he said.

Indirectly hinting that Yeddyurappa would continue to be the party’s face in the state, Rao said the BJP, under the leadership of Yeddyurappa, would intensify its struggle against the ‘maladministration’ of the Congress government. The aim is to ensure Karnataka becomes Congress-mukt in the coming Assembly elections, he said.

It is learnt that whoever met Rao on Saturday and Sunday told him that the central leadership must intervene immediately and ensure internal fights do not further damage the party.

In a statement, Aravind Limbavali, state party general secretary, said none from the party should participate in the programmes of the Brigade. Whoever does faces disciplinary action, he warned.

There were rumours in party circles on Sunday that disciplinary action may be initiated against Eshwarappa and that Muralidhar Rao may be replaced with Ram Lal, the party’s national general secretary (organisation), as the
Karnataka in charge of the party.