BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel has denied that the party was trying for a change of Chief Minister.
“There have been no meetings on this issue. The issue was not discussed in any meeting. B.S. Yediyurappa will complete his term. There are no plans for change,” he told journalists in Haveri.
He was responding to claims by farmers’ leader Lingaraj Patil that the BJP had considered making former Union Minister late Suresh Angadi the next Chief Minister. Mr. Patil, who spoke in Belagavi earlier, is Angadi’s uncle.
The BJP was seriously considering making Mr. Angadi the next Chief Minister, Mr Patil said. “Senior leaders had held a series of meetings for the last few months. They were planning to make him the next Chief Minister. If all had gone well, he would have become the Chief Minister in 4-5 months. But fate had other plans,’’Mr. Patil told journalists at Angadi’s house.
“Angadi was an influential Lingayat leader and was non-controversial. He had worked hard as Railway Minister and had earned praise from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others,’’ he said.
Mr. Kateel strongly denied this. He said there were no such meetings.
