BSY show of strength: 55 MLAs turn up for breakfast

“We are all one,there are no differences within the party. We are going to fight the by-polls in the state on April 9 unitedly,” he said.

The meeting,however,was held amid spectulation that some BJP MLAs,with clearance from a section of the national leadership,were rallying around state BJP president K S Eshwarappa to exert pressure on Yeddyurappa ahead of the April 9 polls to three Assembly seats.

A group of around 45 legislators met the state BJP president in the party office two days ago following fresh opposition allegations of corruption against the CM. Though Yeddyurappa also turned up at the meeting — described as a brain-storming session for the polls — some BJP legislators expressed discontent with the CM’s leadership and repeated corruption charges at the meeting. A group of senior ministers close to Yeddyurappa,however,later denied any differences of opinion at the meeting.

Eshwarappa,meanwhile,suggested that Yeddyurappa is not the only leader in the BJP from the dominant Lingayat community,thus giving credence to reports of deep differences between the two BJP leaders from Shimoga district.

Eshwarappa did not turn up at the Chief Minister’s breakfast meeting. Also absent were the Reddy brothers from Bellary.