BJP holds closed-door emergency meeting in Puttur; Arun Puthila’s joining ceremony postponed

Team Udayavani, Mar 16, 2024, 10:29 AM IST

In a surprising turn of events, the anticipated joining ceremony of Hindu leader Arun Kumar Puthila to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced an unexpected delay. Scheduled to take place on Friday evening in Mangaluru, the event was abruptly postponed due to an emergency meeting held at the BJP office in Puttur.

According to sources, Puthila Parivar’s representatives and BJP leaders from the district and taluk held a meeting with the party’s state president, B Y Vijayendra, where Puthila agreed upon March 15 as the date for his official inclusion into the BJP ranks at the Mangaluru party office.

However, tensions arose on Friday as some BJP workers in Puttur voiced opposition to Puthila’s inclusion into the party. Responding swiftly to the dissent, BJP district president Satish Kumpala convened an emergency meeting at the Puttur office. During this closed-door session, various party members, including district officials and local leaders, expressed their concerns regarding Puthila’s inclusion, sources said.

Following the meeting, Satish Kumpala addressed the media, emphasizing the party’s focus on winning the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by a significant margin. Regarding Puthila’s joining, Kumpala clarified that the decision was not made unilaterally and would proceed based on the consensus among all BJP members.

Meanwhile, the anticipated joint meeting at the Puttur BJP office and the subsequent ceremony in Mangaluru were postponed due to the lack of cooperation from certain BJP members. Puthila Parivar announced via social media that they would disclose their next steps shortly.

In response to inquiries about the emergency meeting in Puttur, Arun Puthila said he was unaware of the gathering, noting his departure for the Mangaluru event as planned. It was reported that numerous activists had gathered in Puttur to accompany Puthila to Mangaluru for his induction into the BJP.

Despite the delay, Puthila said he remains determined in his political endeavors. Addressing supporters at a workers’ meeting in Puttur, he expressed his commitment to campaign vigorously for BJP candidate Capt Brijesh Chowta in the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, aiming to secure a substantial victory margin and propel Narendra Modi to a third term as Prime Minister.