After Congress and JD(S), discontent now appeared to be brewing within the BJP against statePresident B S Yeddyurappa over the appointment of party officebearers.
The resentment came to the fore when senior party leader K S Eshwarappa openly criticised Yeddyurappa's "unilateral" decisions in appointing office bearers and presidents of district units.
"These appointments were made without discussing these names in the party core committee meeting. This is wrong. I will question the appointments before the senior party leadersconcerned," Eshwarappa who is Leader of Opposition in theLegislative Council, said a few days ago.
Eshwarappa who had also served as Deputy ChiefMinister during BJP rule today held a meeting of leaders fromvarious districts.
Sources said in the meeting concerns were expressed regarding the "high handedness" of Yeddyurappa's loyalists and prominence given to those who were in his erstwhile outfit Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), while there were also voices in support of the Lingayat strongman.
Yeddyurappa was forced to resign as Chief Minister in2011 over graft charges, following which he quit the party toform KJP.
He returned to BJP following the announcement ofNarendra Modi as party's prime ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls and was recently appointed state party chief.
BJP leader C T Ravi, who attended the meeting, said "Party workers who have served the party for long time have expressed their feeling. Once Yeddyurappa returns from Delhi it will be discussed with him."
Party General Secretary Aravinda Limbavali said the purpose of the meeting was to work out ways and means to synergise the strengths of the activistswho earlier held positions and the present members of variouscommittees after Yeddyurappa took over as the President of thestate unit.
He saidonly those very few activists who could not be accommodatedexpressed their unhappiness in the meeting.
Nevertheless, the state leadership prevailed upon the workers to work in the larger interest of the party and the state, he added.
Also noting that office-bearers were present in the meeting as per the directions of the State President to give apatient hearing to the suggestions of the activists, Limbavalisaid it was also explained that Yeddyurappa held wide consultations with leaders and important functionaries andthen announced the list of state office bearers, Presidents of various morchas and district presidents.
Commenting on the issue, Yeddyurappa loyalist Shobha Karandlaje said with trust on Yeddyurappa's organisational skills, he has been given the party President position.
"He knows who should be made office bearers keeping next elections in mind, he is not new to the party," sheadded.
Reacting to the developments, Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said any appointment within the party is the prerogative of the President.
The charge sheet had alleged involvement of Rs 40 crore
kickbacks, including Rs 20 crore that was allegedly paid to Prerana for granting favours, including mining licences, during Yeddyurappa's chief ministership from 2008 to 2011.
In his order, the judge said the prosecution has failed to prove the abuse of official position by Yeddyurappa to show favour to JSW Steel Limited represented by (then) Company General Manager Mani C Manuel, either in fixing of premium on iron ore fines, suppression of loss suffered by MML or in the matter of imposition of ban on export of iron ore.
He also held the prosecution failed to prove that South West Mining Limited's representative Rajiv Bansal had purchased land in Rachenahalli at inflated price to cover up the receipt of bribe.
The prosecution also failed to prove that the donation given by accused including South West Mining to Prerana Educational and Social Trust represented by its Managing Trustee Raghavendra was a bribe in disguise, the judge held.
The court set aside the charge against Yeddyurappa that he had abused his official position as a public servant in the matter of fixing of premium on iron ore at 50 per cent instead of 60 per cent and imposing ban on export of iron ore.
"I have already held that absolutely there is no iota of evidence to prove that Yeddyurappa has abused his official position as a public servant in the said matters and also in the matter of denotifying Rachenahalli land."
"Therefore, the question of Yeddyurappa cheating the government of Karnataka with an intention to cause wrongful loss to the State and to make a wrongful gain to his kin does not arise at all," the judge said.
On the other hand, the judge said there is ample evidence on record to show that after fixing the premium of iron ore fines at 50 per cent, the MML has started making huge profit compared to previous years.
"The government of Karnataka cannot be said to have sustained any wrongful loss on account of denotification of Rachenahalli village land, since the denotification of the said land is found to be valid," he observed.
He also said there was absolutely no iota of evidence on record to prove that South West Mining Limited and JSW steel representatives had induced Yeddyurappa's kin and Prerana Educational and Social Trust to exercise their personal influence over Yeddyurappa to do an official favour to JSW Steel represented by Mani Manuel.
There also absolutely no evidence on record to prove that other accused including SWML and JSW Steel representatives hadabetted Yeddyurappa for abuse of his official position in exercise of his official functions to show favour to JSW Steelrepresentative Mani Manuel, the judge said.
