A 15-minute meeting at a condolence function between BJP president Rajnath Singh and KJP president and lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa on Monday at Hosabale village in Sorab Taluk in Karnataka has triggered political speculation about Yeddyurappa’s early entry to the BJP.
Both the leaders were there in the village to attend a condolence meeting of Meenakshamma, mother of top RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale who died recently. Amidst clamour about Yeddyurappa’s return to the BJP by the State leaders, this meeting has obvious political approach to decide Yeddyurappa’s political fate.
According to BJP sources, Yeddyurappa also held one-on-one meeting with BJP’s Karnataka in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan who was also there amidst many BJP leaders.
Interestingly, Rajnath Singh who addressed a public convention welcomed people to the BJP who supports Narendra Modi’s candidature for country’s top post. The BJP leader told the people that the results of the five State Assembly elections where the Congress suffered a serious setback and in the coming lok Sabha elections, the Congress would be trounced and the BJP would form the next Government at the Centre.
later speaking to mediapersons during a brief stopover at Hubli airport, Rajnath Singh said the final decision on welcoming Yeddyurappa into the party would be taken after another round of discussions with the State unit. He said, “The issue had already been discussed at the national and the State level. However, a final decision would be taken, after another round of discussions with the State unit.”
He said the party would welcome anyone who was in support of Narendra Modi’s candidature for the prime ministership. He clarified that there was no confusion in the party about Modi being prime ministerial candidate of the party.
The BJP president said he would welcome the decision of the Aam Admi Party to form a Government in Delhi. However, he took exception to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s statement that he would make public all cases of corruption related to the BJP and the Congress. “The BJP had been in power for a short period and it had not indulged in any corruption. It was the Congress against which there were allegations of corruption,” he said.
Yeddyurappa told reporters it was just a courtesy meeting between him and Singh. He said, “I know you are curious. We have a personal relationship though we are in different parties. It was just a courtesy meeting.”
Singh was accompanied by Bangalore south MP HN Ananth Kumar, State BJP president Prahlad Joshi, Rakesh Sinha, Sanjeev Kumar, Omprakash Dhankad, Ashish Soodh, Pankaj Sharman, V Muralidharan, Mahendra Pande and other leaders.
A close aide of Yeddyurappa told The Pioneer that both the leaders discussed the issue of his return to the BJP. But in view of the party’s high moral ground on the issue of corruption and to take on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi there was a delay in accepting Yeddyurappa to the party. He said, “As far as I know they discussed the political implications of his return and we are confident it would happen soon.”