Yediyurappa, B L Santhosh exchange pleasantries, set off murmers in party

BENGALURU: The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executive committee meeting, held in the city on Saturday, witnessed a rare moment with former CM B S Yediyurappa and party national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh exchanging pleasantries. The gesture of Yediyurappa has now led to many whispers in the BJP circles.

B L Santosh leaves the front row when B S Yediyurappa entered the hall, who sat in the front row.

At the party executive meeting, B L Santhosh sat in the front row with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, but he left the seat and moved to another seat when B S Yediyurappa entered the hall and sat in the front row along with the BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel. Meanwhile, Santosh sat with other activists in the rear, though other party leaders to requested him to take a seat in the front. Yediyurappa also noticed this gesture of Santhosh. The two leaders are known to have had a rivalry when the former was Chief Minsiter.

B L Santosh vacated his seat for Yediyurappa and sat with other party leaders in the rear.

But when B L Santosh came up to speak with Nalin Kumar Kateel, B S Yediyurappa held Santhosh’s hand with smile and Santhosh folded his hands in front of the former CM and spoke closely for a while. This rare scene has now led to much speculation whether the rivalry between the two will finally end.

Former CM Yediyurappa holding Santhosh’s hand, while the latter was speaking to Nalin Kumar Kateel.

With the Assembly election drawing close, Yediyurappa would be wanting to make sure that his son B Y Vijayendra gets at ticket to contest and Santhosh is known to be very close to party top brass.

The gestures from both leaders have now led to speculation whether Yediyurappa wants to befriend B L Santhosh, or whether it is a sign of forgetting past, or a message to the party cadre that there is no misunderstanding between them. The turn of events have definitely caught the party cadre by surprise and has created much curiosity among the party leaders.