The 'adjustment politics' row within the BJP in Karnataka has escalated yet again with party workers clashing at a public convention in Bagalkot demanding ouster of BJP leaders who were into adjustment politics that reportedly resulted in the defeat of the party in the recent Assembly elections.
On the other hand, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday that he has spoken to Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha and advised him not to speak about contentious issues in public.
Joshi also said that he has advised Simha to speak to the state BJP President if at all there are any issues.
Meanwhile, former minister K.S. Eshwarappa said that there is no discipline in the party.
"Our party has caught wind of Congress. We are in such a situation for allowing Congress leaders to join the party. No one should speak about adjustment politics in public.
"I will request the party leaders to keep their conversations within the four walls of a room. Adjustment politics never took place in Karnataka. What is lacking is discipline," Eshwarappa said.
Reacting to Eshwarappa's remarks, former minister B.C. Patil said that BJP came to power because of leaders from the Congress who joined the BJP.
BJP MLC N. Ravikumar said that he doesn't know in which context Eshwarappa made those remarks.
"We came to power only after Congress leaders joined the BJP. Many leaders who joined the BJP have won elections. We will face the Lok Sabha elections unitedly," he said.
BJP national General Secretary C.T. Ravi said that he doesn't want to blame everything on the leaders who came from Congress.
"I don't want to only blame those who joined BJP from the Congress. At the same time, I won't say that all are correct. There were mistakes from our side as well," he said.
Commenting on Eshwarappa's remarks, leader and Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, said that Congress leaders who joined BJP, including K. Sudhakar, M.T.B. Nagaraj, S.T. Somashekar, B.C. Patil and others, should answer Eshwarappa.
"There is no question of taking them back into the Congress," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
