Bengaluru (DHNS): A section of leaders in the Karnataka BJP, which has identified itself with senior leader K S Eshwarappa, has strongly pitched for replacement of P Muralidara Rao, BJP general secretary in charge of the state, with Ram Madhav.

These leaders have approached the party top brass in New Delhi and suggested that Rao be replaced with Madhav, who is also one of the national general secretaries of the party. They contend that Rao had failed to quell the differences between state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa, who is leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, lingering on for several months. They feel that Madhav can handle the situation better as he has been successfully handling the party affairs in a difficult and complex state such as Jammu and Kashmir.

Madhav, who is on deputation to the BJP from the RSS, recently played a crucial role in government formation in Manipur, despite the Congress winning maximum number of seats in the north eastern state. Madhav, who is from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, knows Karnataka politics better as he did his post-graduation in Mysore University, the state leaders have told the party top brass. The BJP central leadership has asked the warring factions not to air their differences in the public. It also has asked Yeddyurappa to work cohesively with party’s national joint secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, who has been drafted for the BJP work from the RSS.

Though the former chief minister has openly said that Santhosh was behind the current feud in the state unit of the party, top leaders have told Yeddyurappa that the RSS functionary will continue to play a key role in the state unit and all the leaders have to work with him