From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 2: As if to prove that he is totally in control of the State BJP despite the unresolved tussle with senior party leader K S Eshwarappa, Opposition leader in the Council, Karnataka BJP President has announced the appointment of former Congress leader V Srinivas Prasad, who unsuccessfully contested from the Nanjangud assembly constituency on BJP ticket, as the State Vice President.

Yeddyurappa’s tussle with Eshwarappa, who caused much heartburn by leading his SangolliRayanna Brigade and taking potshots against the State party chief, is still awaiting a final solution with the party high command.

BJP National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao, who is also the in-charge of the State unit, had been despatched by BJP National President Amit Shah to try and resolve the dispute among the two warring factions and also submit a factual report on the situation.

Muralidhar Rao, who met Yeddyurappa and other State BJP leaders but went to Delhi without meeting Eshwarappa, has already submitted his report to Amit Shah, whose decision is awaited.

Given the fact that Eshwarappa and his supporters have already raised a banner of revolt against Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning and his decision of appointing most of his supporters in key posts in the party, it is not clear whether appointment of Prasad, who had joined BJP only in January prior to the announcement of the date of by-polls for Nanjangud and Gundlupet, would be taken kindly by the rank and file of BJP.

Surprisingly, Yeddyurappa’s decision on appointing Prasad has been shown to have been actually made on April 26 and was made public only on Tuesday as it sometimes happens in government appointments.

The Eshwarappa camp is sure to make this appointment another bone of contention to prove the 'dictatorial' style of functioning of Yeddyurappa.

After his defeat as a BJP candidate from his own Nanjangud constituency against JD(S) man turned Congress candidate Kalale Keshavamurthy, Srinivas Prasad had announced his retirement from electoral politics even though he will continue to be active in politics.

Yeddyurappa apparently wants to make use of Srinivas Prasad’s standing as a Dalit leader to strengthen the saffron party’s clout among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State and particularly in the Old Mysuru region.

In yet another announcement, Yeddyurappa has appointed from BBMP Corporator M Nagaraju, who belongs to the Kuruba community to which Eshwarappa and even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah belong, as a Special Invitee to the State Executive Committee.

Nagaraju’s appointment could trigger another war of words in view of the fact that Yeddyurappa apparently would like him to counter Eshwarappa, who is also a Kuruba leader.