A party workers’ meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka on Sunday turned into a major embarrassment for the Bharatiya Janata Party as a war of words broke out between former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over the issue of ‘adjustment politics.’
While addressing party workers, Yatnal said that the Congress government will not last long. “Siddaramaiah will not give up the CM post. That’s when D K Shivakumar will come calling Basavaraj Bommai to exert pressure on Sonia Gandhi for the CM post. Bommai, please…don’t allow Shivakumar into your house. Such meetings send the wrong message to party workers.”
“Shivakumar and Shamanur Shivashankarappa visited the homes of BS Yediyurappa and Bommai recently. They call it a courtesy visit, but the intention behind the visits is different,” he added.
He further said that if Bommai continues to hobnob with Congress leaders, it will dent the morale of the party workers.
Countering Yatnal, Bommai said: “It’s our culture to be courteous to anybody who visits our homes. But that doesn’t mean I will compromise on my principles. You don’t worry. People are aware of those who have compromised without visiting homes of opponents. There are instances of functionaries compromising the party by having secret meetings with opposition leaders. But we are open and transparent.”
Bommai also said BJP was like his mother, and party workers were like his brothers and sisters and that he has not betrayed them.
On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met Bommai as part of his efforts to improve the image of Bengaluru through his latest initiative ‘Brand Bengaluru’.
After launching the ‘Brand Bengaluru’ website on Wednesday, Shivakumar is seeking opinions by calling on former CMs, political leaders and MLAs cutting across party lines.
“As part of this exercise, he met Bommai at the latter’s official residence Race Course Road. They spoke well for over an hour. It was an in-camera discussion,” a close aide of Shivakumar said, as reported by Deccan Herald.
“Both leaders chose not to reveal anything about their meeting at this juncture,” added the close aide.
Recently, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha alleged that ‘BJP – Congress’ adjustment politics’ cost the party in recent Assembly elections in the State.
Without naming former Chief Minister and BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa, Simha, claimed that “BJP men, especially the big leaders themselves were in cahoots with Congress due to which the party had to suffer.”