There seems to be no end to the woes of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka.
The meeting of the legislature party -- to elect Jagadish Shettar as its leader and the next chief minister -- has been delayed following a massive protest by supporters of incumbent CM Sadananda Gowda. Nearly 40 members of Legislative Assembly, including Gowda himself, have refused to attend the meeting unless the name of the new party unit president and the deputy chief minister is announced.
It will be impossible to convene the meeting without Gowda, who is still the CM and the current leader of the legislature party. Gowda and his supporters, mostly from the Vokkaliga community, are now demanding that the BJP top brass must first announce the name of the state's deputy CM and the new party president.
They want K S Eshwarappa to be declared the new deputy CM and Gowda the president of the state unit of the BJP.
Gowda and his supporters are also considering R Ashok for the deputy CM's post. Ahsok has stayed away from all the factions in the party. He is likely to seek the blessings of B S Yeddyurappa and his followers before taking up the post as he realises that the former CM has a bigger say in the functioning of the party in Karnataka.
The top leaders of the BJP are not too keen on appointing a deputy CM as they fear the creation of another power centre within the government. A deputy CM from the faction against Yeddyurappa will only mean more trouble in the party as both factions will try to dislodge the other's leader.
The legislature party meeting was scheduled to start at 11 am. It has been indefinitely delayed while the party leadership tries to convince Gowda to make an appearance.
