Vokkaliga vs Vokkaliga! Did Ashok cut Yogeshwar to size?
Mr Ashok, known for his proximity to Mr Deve Gowda's family, controls Bengaluru city unit and its affairs.
BENGALURU: Just how did leaders of the state unit of BJP botch up the process of selection of candidate for Saturday’s bypoll to Ramanagara Assembly constituency?
Among various versions about the plan gone awry is one involving former deputy chief minister R Ashok. Sources in BJP said from the day he lost the Assembly election, Mr Yogeshwar turned restless and wanted to settle scores with water resources minister, D.K. Shivakumar and Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and inched closer to state unit president B S Yeddyurappa. His moves, however, irked Mr R Ashok.
Soon after Mr Yogeshwar got L. Chandrashekhar to contest the by-poll on the party ticket, Mr Ashok who was initially enthusiastic about campaigning for Mr Chandraskher on the day of his induction, drifted away and not even visit Ramanagara though other leaders joined the party’s candidate.
Mr Ashok, known for his proximity to Mr Deve Gowda’s family, controls Bengaluru city unit and its affairs. Since Union minister, H N Ananth Kumar has taken ill, Mr Ashoka has been virtually dictating terms in the city and neighbouring Bengaluru (rural) district. He, however, could not stomach the fact that Mr Yogeshwar’s clout and proximity to Mr Yeddyurappa was growing, and therefore decided to help Mr Gowda’s family, sources added.