New Karnataka BJP President and Opposition leader in firefighting mode to douse dissent
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Thursday said he is trying to win the trust of everyone and address 'minor issues' amongst some leaders, amid indications that his appointment to the post did not go down well with a section of the party.
His statement came after former Ministers V Somanna and Aravind Limbavali and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal made no secret of their displeasure over the choice of Vijayendra as the state unit chief and Ashoka as the Leader of Opposition in the assembly.
The BJP made the two appointments earlier this month, six months after the Assembly elections in which it was routed.
Vijayendra, son of BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa, today met MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is also reportedly sulking, at the latter's residence and held talks.
Addressing reporters later, Vijayendra said he will take the statement of the Gokak MLA seriously. "There are small issues, which I discussed with him in a manner to make him content. I hope he was happy with the discussion".
He said he will not take the statements of the party leaders "negatively" and, as state President, will take everyone into confidence.
The BJP chief said Jarkiholi told him to work together to win maximum seats for BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Jarkiholi said his aim is to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for which he will work with a missionary zeal to strengthen the party and instill enthusiasm in the activists.
"I will do my duty by winning 28 out of 28 seats (in Karnataka) in the Lok Sabha elections," Vijayendra asserted.
Jarkiholi told reporters that the lone aim is to win maximum seats for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year as his "dissatisfaction is an old issue".
Meanwhile, former Housing Minister V Somanna said he will reveal his "future course of action" after December.
Amid some speculations that he is set to join Congress, he said, "Seniors have told me not to speak up till December 6".
After losing the Assembly election from two Constituencies including Varuna in Mysuru where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah won, Somanna was aspiring for the state president's post.
Apparently dejected after he was overlooked, he said, "Politics is not a drama company and not restricted to a family or secret pacts."
He also ruled out any attempts being made by Yediyurappa to "pacify" him.
Meanwhile Yediyurappa told reporters that he will meet Somanna.
"I will meet Somanna and will take him along. He is a good organiser. We will use him to strengthen our party," the BJP stalwart said.
Striking a discordant note, Limbavali told media on Wednesday in Belagavi that some people rise due to "adjustment".
"This is an era of adjustment-- be it opposition leader or the party state president," he added.
Reacting to apparent dissent within a section of the party over the appointments, Ashoka said in a week things will be set right.
"Somanna is a senior leader. Our seniors in the party are talking to him. Today only our party state president met Ramesh Jarkiholi at his residence. One after another things are getting cleared in a week," Ashoka said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
