“Provide us a platform and hear us”: BJP MLA to leadership amid bickering

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP MLA and government’s chief whip in the legislative assembly V Sunil Kumar on Tuesday urged the party leadership to provide a “platform” for legislators and workers to express their opinion. He also voiced concern over recent developments in the party, following speculation in some quarters about replacing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

“Remarks coming in the media in the last 3 days are not good for the interest of the party. (A) Few comments from a few people is not the same as all MLAs and party workers. We can”t tell our opinion to the media, request party leaders to provide us a platform to hear us,” Kumar tweeted. The tweet was tagged to BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, another national general secretary C T Ravi, who is from the state and Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

This is even as some BJP legislators were said to be pushing for convening a legislature party meeting, pointing at certain decisions taken by the government, its functioning, handling of the COVID crisis and alleged instances of corruption, among others. However, Kateel had recently ruled out any immediate possibility of holding a legislature party meeting, citing COVID reasons. Sharing a similar view, another BJP legislator, on grounds of anonymity, told PTI that the recent developments like making public statements by some legislators are not good for the party. “Many of us also have our own views regarding the party and the government, but everyone can’t come out and speak in front of the media as we don’t want to cross the party line,” the MLA said.

Seeking an appropriate forum for legislators and loyal party workers to share their opinion, he said senior leaders should hear divergent views and ideas should be exchanged. “We want to share our concerns regarding the functioning of the party and the government before senior leaders… it is not regarding the leadership issue,”the MLA further said, adding that there are more than 50 MLAs having similar sentiments. The last few days have seen a series of political statements around speculation in some quarters about attempts to replace Yediyurappa and claims by his political secretary M P Renukacharya about having a letter signed by more than 65 legislators supporting the Chief Minister.

Amid speculations, Yediyurappa on Sunday said that he would continue in the top post as long as the BJP high command has confidence in him, and he had no confusion about it. However, aimed at putting an end to open expressions of resentment and statements on leadership change, which are causing embarrassment to the party and the government, the state BJP has constituted a ten member committee and said that those with grievances can approach it. Sunil Kumar in December too had asked the leadership to convene a meeting of legislators to discuss developments, amid reports of alleged groupism within the BJP”s state unit, then. He had also then urged Kateel to rein in ministers, legislators and party leaders making public statements.