BANGALORE, September 19: Preparing for Thursday’s crucial State executive committee meeting, the core committee of the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) on Wednesday decided not to make the first move for a merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Part of NDA
“We made it clear that the KJP would be a part of the National Democratic Alliance after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was anointed as BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. The focus is on strengthening the party base,” said a senior functionary of the KJP.
As far as the merger with the BJP is concerned, the party has decided to wait for the BJP to make the first move, though KJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa is said to be keen on a patch-up. “We, however, are not going to make the first move,” the functionary said.
Irked
However, Mr. Yeddyurappa’s enthusiasm for a patch-up has reportedly irked some party leaders, including three of the six party MLAs who did not come from the BJP. MLAs Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, B.R. Patil and Guru Patil have reportedly opposed the merger saying that they preferred the KJP to retain its identity.
Thursday’s executive committee meeting, among other things, would discuss strategy for the Lok Sabha elections.
