Somashekhar calls meeting, makes BJP sweat

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: BJP MLA from Yeshwantpur ST Somashekar on Thursday held a meeting with his supporters on Thursday, sparking anxiety among Saffron party ranks.

While the MLA said he wouldn’t quit the party, he qualified it with the statement that local BJP leaders were “forcing him to quit the party” adding that they had even connived to defeat him in the May 10 Assembly elections but had failed.

Somashekhar, a former Congressman, was one of the 17 MLAs who quit the HD Kumaraswamyled coalition government in July 2019, joined the BJP and brought them to power.

However, the friction between turncoats and loyalists within the saffron party has led to disgruntlement on either side.

“Some people who had tried to ensure that I lost (in the recent Assembly polls) put up my picture on hoard - ings to cele - brate their birthday. Why would they do that? We questioned them over it, pointing out they had indulged in anti-party activities,” Somashekhar told mediapersons.

“I didn’t talk about going to Congress. I can assure you that 100 per cent. I spoke to Shivakumar about the development of my constituency and not politics,'' he said.