Bangalore, Feb 24 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari Friday began a series of meetings here to end the power struggle in the party's Karnataka unit in the wake of B.S. Yeddyurappa's bid to get back the chief minister's post.
Gadkari reportedly told Yeddyurappa that he has to wait for reinstatement till he is cleared of corruption charges, party sources said. However Yeddyurappa's demand for a suitable position in the state unit may be considered, they said.
Yeddyurappa, who met Gadkari at a hotel for about 20 minutes, left the place without talking to the media.
The BJP chief also had separate meetings with Yeddyurappa's successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda, state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa and other leaders before all of them headed to a resort on the city's outskirts for a 'chintan-manthan' or brainstorming session with legislators.
The session has been called to tell legislators and party leaders the importance of morality and discipline following the involvement of three ministers, Laxman Savadi, C.C. Patil and J. Krishna Palemar in porn viewing in the assembly Feb 7. They resigned the next day.
All party legislators, parliament members and several party functionaries are attending the session. Yeddyurappa is also participating in the session.
Ahead of Friday's meetings, Yeddyurappa hosted a luncheon meeting here Thursday to demonstrate support for him in the state unit.
He is reported to have set a Feb 27 deadline for the party's central leaders to decide on his demand for reinstatement or officially declared the supreme leader of the party in the state. That day is his birthday and his supporters plan a big bash where he may announce his plan of action if party does not accept the demands.
Yeddyurappa, the BJP's first chief minister in southern India, quit July 31 last year over corruption charges. BJP came to power for the first time in Karnataka in May 2008. Assembly polls are due early next year.
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