BJP national president J.P. Nadda is said to have spoken to B. Sriramulu, who is upset over being blamed for the party’s defeat in the recent Sandur bypolls. Mr. Sriramulu has reportedly been assured that his issues with his friend-turned-foe G. Janardhana Reddy will be sorted out amicably and he was requested not to take any hasty decisions. Mr. Sriramulu is expected to make a trip to New Delhi to meet the party high command to air his grievances, sources said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok also told media persons that he had spoken to Mr. Sriramulu and he would be coming to Bengaluru on Friday to meet the party leadership.

A senior party strategist said that though Mr. Reddy had in 2008 helped the party make significant inroads in the Kalyana Karnataka region, he had become a baggage for the party after his arrest and only recently merged his party to the BJP again and had no mass base of his own. “The Valmiki community is about 7% of the State’s population and Mr. Sriramulu is the community’s most prominent leader. He may have lost two elections, but he remains a big leader of the community. There is no question of letting Mr. Sriramulu go,” he said.