Bengaluru : BJP national general secretary Arun Singh’s attempt to hear out Legislators opened a floodgate after senior MLC AH Vishwanath said he wanted Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s removal, accusing his government of corruption.

Also, MLAs who are ministerial aspirants mounted pressure for a Cabinet reshuffle. In all, Singh got a glimpse of the three factions within the party – those in favour of Yediyurappa, those against him and those who seem to be neutral.

At least 40 legislators, including ministers, met Singh at the BJP headquarters here during the day. Singh told reporters that “only 2-3 MLAs are hurting the party and lakhs of workers with their statements” and that they were being watched.

Vishwanath, after meeting Singh, levelled serious charges against the government, demanding Yediyurappa’s ouster. He said someone from the Panchamasali Lingayat community should become the CM and named Murugesh Nirani, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Arvind Bellad as potential candidates.

“Yediyurappa is old. He doesn’t have the spirit in him anymore to take everybody along,” he said. Vishwanath alleged irregularities in tendering works worth Rs 20,000 crore in the Water Resources Department. The tender was floated without the finance department’s nod, he claimed. “No minister is happy. In all the departments, his (Yediyurappa) son’s intervention is more.”

Responding to this, Singh said Vishwanath is new to the BJP and not acquainted with the party’s principles. Chiding Vishwanath, BJP general secretary N Ravikumar said the state unit had recommended action against him.

What was startling was that Singh reportedly refused to meet Yatnal and Bellad. Also, Renukacharya is learnt to have attracted the party’s wrath for his planned meeting of pro-Yediyurappa MLAs. He had to call it off.

Tourism Minister CP Yogeshwar, one among the disgruntled, met Singh and declined to comment.

Singh also had to deal with MLAs seeking a reshuffle of the Cabinet. Notably, Social Welfare Minister B Sriramulu expressed confidence that the party will take “the right decision at the right time” on making him deputy chief minister.

Sriramulu, one of the BJP’s tallest ST leaders, was projected as the deputy CM face ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls. Legislators from north Karnataka are learnt to have urged Singh to ensure “social justice” by inducting new faces into the Cabinet.

BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said that all issues will come up for discussion in the party’s core committee meeting scheduled for Friday.