Bengaluru: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa will hold a meeting on Thursday with disgruntled leaders of the party who had recently expressed their resentment against his style of functioning. The meeting will be held in Bengaluru.

Those who have been invited include sitting MLCs M B Bhanuprakash, Raghunath Rao Malkapure, Somanna Bevinamarad, former MLA Nirmal Kumar Surana and who they have confirmed that they would attend the meeting, party sources said.

The meeting will be held at state BJP headquarters in Malleswaram at 3.30 pm. As many as 14 of the 24 BJP leaders who had purportedly signed a letter addressed to Yeddyurappa stating that his style of functioning was damaging the image of the party, have been invited to the meeting. Yeddyurappa’s bete noire K S Eshwarappa has not been invited for the discussions as he is not one of the signatories to the letter, the sources added.

The letter stated that Yeddyurappa’s “unilateral decisions” while appointing party office-bearers, district presidents and other functionaries have dampened the spirit of party workers. Besides the appointment of party functionaries, the disgruntled leaders at the meeting are likely to seek a clarification from Yeddyurappa on his opposition to Eshwarappa’s association with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade. The recent suspension of a few supporters of Eshwarappa is also likely to be raised.

Meanwhile, Eshwarappa held a meeting with ‘dissident’ BJP leaders at the residence of former minister Sogadu Shivanna in Tumakuru. Media was not allowed into the meeting which lasted for three hours. Later, Eshwarappa told reporters that they discussed measures for strengthening the party. He said Yeddyurappa should review appointment of BJP office-bearers in all the districts and provide opportunity for loyal workers.

Former minister S A Ravindranath, MLCs Somanna Bevinamarad, Bhanuprakash, former MLA Nirmal Kumar Surana, former Bengaluru mayor Venkatesh Murthy were present at the meeting. Eshwarappa said he had not been invited for the meeting called by Yeddyurappa and hence he won’t attend it.