Bangalore: In-charge of BJP state unit Dharmendra Pradhan came to Bangalore on Friday to douse the fresh bout of dissidence in the party over portfolio reallocation and appointments to various state-run boards and corporations. The party decided to dispatch Pradhan following a threat by Municipal Administration Minister Balachandra Jarkiholi to intensify dissident activities if both the issues were not addressed by Saturday.
Jarkiholi, Kannada and Culture minister Govind Karjol and Minister for Fisheries Anand Asnotikar are all from former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s group and have demanded plum portfolios. The party sources refused to link Pradhan’s visit and the threat. However, his visit is being seen as an effort by the party highcommand to nib the dissidence before it is blown into a crisis.
Pradhan on Friday held meetings with Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, state BJP president and Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa, senior party functionaries Santhosh and Satish. He was expected to meet former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday night or Saturday morning. “We are expecting a final decision on portfolio allocation and appointments to boards and corporations by tomorrow evening,” said a senior BJP leader on conditions of anonymity.
Pradhan is also expected to discuss the election of the new BJP state president as Eshwarappa has to give it up owing to the party’s ‘one man, one post’ policy.
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