CM to party: Thanks for your faith in me

Bommai gets nod for continuing in office till 2023 Assembly polls, says he will work to bring party back to power.

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The BJP High Command has put the seal of approval for the continuation of Basavaraj Bommai as Chief Minister till the 2023 Assembly elections and has decided to fight the coming polls under his leadership.

“I am grateful to BJP National General Secretary and In-Charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, all ministers, MLAs, MLCs, State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel and other members of the State Executive Committee for reposing faith in my government. I will work upto their expectations and will bring back the party to power in the 2023 Assembly election”, an elated Bommai told the media in Hubballi on Wednesday. Singh’s strict warning will henceforth serve to stop those talking about a change of leadership in the State. With this the talk about a change in guard is likely to stop at least till the 2023 Assembly elections. The visit of Arun Singh to Karnataka has come as a breather since Bommai has faced embarrassment with opposition parties commenting on the change of CM in the State. In view of this, the CM is learnt to have requested the high command to send Singh to Bengaluru to issue the gag orders to a few ministers and lawmakers who have been causing pinpricks to Bommai by commenting on the leadership issue.

In the meeting, Singh said it was not right on the part of some senior ministers (K.S.Eshwarappa and Murgesh Nirani) to make statements in public on the CM issue. The high command gave full marks to the three-months of governance of Bommai who has consolidated his position. The next step would be to pick a team of ministers to fast track the administration as hardly 14 months are left for the Assembly polls. The high command is likely to show the green flag for another round of Cabinet expansion to accommodate aspirants in the council of ministers. Bommai had to beat anti-incumbency to put up a brave fight to the onslaught of the Congress which is on a high after winning the Hangal by-poll and 11 Council seats. Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar are upbeat due to the confusion within the BJP over the state leadership issue. Recently, Siddramaiah had even expressed his doubts over Bommai continuing in office till the next Assembly polls following infighting among senior leaders.