Santhosh picks bypoll loss, wants B S Yeddyurappa out

Bengaluru: Although  his rivals in the party may have little chance of ousting BJP state president, B.S. Yeddyurappa before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,  they continue to lobby against him, telling the party's central leadership that he is incapable of leading it in the coming parliamentary poll.

They were at it again when BJP national president, Amit Shah arrived in Mangaluru recently to participate in the RSS Dakshina Prantiya Baitak. A section of the coastal RSS leaders and supporters of BJP national joint secretary, Santhosh  gave a poor report to him about Mr Yeddyurappa's performance and blamed him for the party's dismal showing in the recent byelections in the state, according to party sources. 

A few suggested that it was the right time to hand over the state's leadership to young Turks in the party and loyalists of Mr  Santhosh even suggested the names of the probables, expectedly from among his supporters, they reveal. 

While Mr. Shah is said to have given nothing away on their demand to replace Mr Yeddyurappa as state BJP president, he reportedly promised to convey their views to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Appointed as BJP state chief on April 8, 2016, Mr. Yeddyurappa was  named the party's Chief Ministerial candidates for the 2018 assembly polls. His three- year term as party chief ends in 2019 and the knives are out for him to make way for younger leaders in the party among those who find his style of functioning dictatorial and non-inclusive.