BANGALORE: The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) got tough with former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa by removing his close aidesAyanur Manjunath and V Dhananjaya Kumarfrom key positions in the party on Saturday.
Manjunath was spokesperson and Dhananjaya Kumar the state's representative of the party in Delhi.
The setback to the beleaguered Yeddyurappa came on a day when his bete noire H N Ananth Kumar was celebrating his 53rd birthday. Sources in the party said Manjunath, who is also an MP (member of parliament), was "punished" due to his "irresponsible" statement, earlier this week, seeking resignation of chief minister Jagadish Shettar and deputy chief minister R Ashoka. Kumar was removed from the post for "poor performance".
"We did not go to the extent of issuing show-cause notice to Manjunath. The party has removed him from spokespersons post," a senior leader in the BJP told the TOI.
State BJP president K S Eshwarappa's move to "punish" Yeddyurappa's aides appears to have twin objectives. It is seen as a stern warning to the former chief minister, who in the last week embarrassed the party several times by saying that he didn't need the support of the BJP to become chief minister again and by threatening the BJP that he will not remain in the party if he wasn't made the party's state president. Ahead of the BJP national executive meet scheduled later this week at Haryana, Eshwarappa wanted to prove that he won't tolerate indiscipline.
Reacting to the developments, Manjunath said his office in Shimoga had received a fax copy of the decision to remove him from spokesperson's post. "I don't know the reason for this. I will follow the orders of the party. I will also discuss the issue with Eshwarappa," he said. Manjunath had alleged that Ashoka, who is in charge of transport department, had tacit understanding with and dancing to the tune of JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy. He had also remarked that Ashoka opened transport office in Kumaraswamy's residence.
A senior leader said that media was not the forum for the party men to lash out on a minister. "If he (Manjunath) had any differences with Ashoka, he could have discussed in the party forum or brought it to Eshwarappa's notice. But he went public," sources said.
It is said that Manjunath made statements at the behest of Yeddyurappa, who reportedly was upset with Ashoka after the minister did not involve him in resolving the bus strike issue in the state. The former chief minister had threatened to quit the party after the BJP high command turned down his demand seeking state BJP chief's post.
Manjunath was spokesperson and Dhananjaya Kumar the state's representative of the party in Delhi.
The setback to the beleaguered Yeddyurappa came on a day when his bete noire H N Ananth Kumar was celebrating his 53rd birthday. Sources in the party said Manjunath, who is also an MP (member of parliament), was "punished" due to his "irresponsible" statement, earlier this week, seeking resignation of chief minister Jagadish Shettar and deputy chief minister R Ashoka. Kumar was removed from the post for "poor performance".
"We did not go to the extent of issuing show-cause notice to Manjunath. The party has removed him from spokespersons post," a senior leader in the BJP told the TOI.
State BJP president K S Eshwarappa's move to "punish" Yeddyurappa's aides appears to have twin objectives. It is seen as a stern warning to the former chief minister, who in the last week embarrassed the party several times by saying that he didn't need the support of the BJP to become chief minister again and by threatening the BJP that he will not remain in the party if he wasn't made the party's state president. Ahead of the BJP national executive meet scheduled later this week at Haryana, Eshwarappa wanted to prove that he won't tolerate indiscipline.
Reacting to the developments, Manjunath said his office in Shimoga had received a fax copy of the decision to remove him from spokesperson's post. "I don't know the reason for this. I will follow the orders of the party. I will also discuss the issue with Eshwarappa," he said. Manjunath had alleged that Ashoka, who is in charge of transport department, had tacit understanding with and dancing to the tune of JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy. He had also remarked that Ashoka opened transport office in Kumaraswamy's residence.
A senior leader said that media was not the forum for the party men to lash out on a minister. "If he (Manjunath) had any differences with Ashoka, he could have discussed in the party forum or brought it to Eshwarappa's notice. But he went public," sources said.
It is said that Manjunath made statements at the behest of Yeddyurappa, who reportedly was upset with Ashoka after the minister did not involve him in resolving the bus strike issue in the state. The former chief minister had threatened to quit the party after the BJP high command turned down his demand seeking state BJP chief's post.
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