BJP deputes Jaitley, Pradhan to find solution to BSY issue

With former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, branded as the "tallest party leader" in state by the BJP central leadership, threatening to quit the party, the party leadership on Monday deputed senior leader Arun Jaitley and general secretary in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan to make a last-ditch effort to find a middle ground.

However, leaders in Delhi indicated that party was not going to bend over backwards to please Yeddyurappa. "Since we have decided to take on the Congress on the issue of corruption, the broad contours for our conduct has been set by Advaniji during the National Council meet. We have to be no less intolerant and resolute on our own cadres on these issues that appear to dent our credibility. We are ready to make any sacrifice for that," said a senior party leader in reference of Yeddyurappa's hard posturing.

"There is nothing the party high command has to offer to Yeddyurappa. He has reached the other end of his talks with BJP. He will be touring the state during October 5-15 to reach out to the masses and take a final decision by December. It is going to be a new party," said a Yeddyurappa aide.

To prove BJP stand on FDI, Advani flashes Singh's '02 letter

To counter the Congress's attempt to project BJP in poor light on FDI in retail issue, BJP patriarch L K Advani on Monday used the words of PM Manmohan Singh to "confirm" BJP was not in favour of FDI in retail during the NDA regime. In his latest blog, Advani cited a letter Singh, the then Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, wrote to Federation of Maharashtra Traders in December 2002 in which he is quoted to have said the (NDA) Finance Minister "gave an assurance that government had no proposal to invite FDI in Retail Trade". Advani tried to use federation's claims to say it was Singh who felt "FDI in retail will destroy employment" in 2002.

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