BJP holds meet in K'taka as buzz over MLA switching sides grows

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CT Ravi on Saturday held a meeting with party legislator ST Somashekar, amid speculation of the latter switching over to the Congress, and warned the ruling party in Karnataka of strong retaliation if it tried any "misadventure".

- Arun Dev

Ravi, who spoke with Yeshwanthpur MLA Somashekar for over an hour, said the party is ready to address any concerns raised by the leader.

"It's true that he is somewhat disgruntled, but it's not something we can't resolve. From the party's end, we are ready to resolve it, and there is no question of him leaving the party," Ravi told reporters in Bengaluru.

The state BJP leadership has been trying to reach out to party leaders amid speculations that a few of them were in talks with the Congress. On Friday, veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa convened a meeting of party MLAs from Bengaluru. However, Somashekar and Bhyrati Basavaraj, the KR Pura legislator, were conspicuous by their absence from the meeting.

After the meeting, Yediyurappa had said: "No one will leave the party, all are intact with us. There are one or two people. We have spoken to them also. I believe no one will leave the party."