The sparring between the Governor and the Government took to an ugly turn yesterday after Bhardwaj courted a controversy likening the cabinet resolution asking him to drop proceedings for prosecution of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to a thief taking police to task.
The BJP Central Leadership rushed its General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, to the city today.
Pradhan held brief consultations with state unit leaders and took stock of the situation.
Sources in BJP said the Core Committee and the Executive would be finalising the strategies to be adopted in the campaign against the Governor.
Facing fresh attacks from Bhardwaj, an upset Yeddyurappa last night dashed off a letter to him, accusing him of making biased statements.
By referring to the cabinet's resolution as "the thief complaining to the police", the Governor had "lowered the dignity of the Chief Minister, the entire cabinet and thereby the voters", Yeddyurappa had said in the letter.
Yeddyurappa is also planning to meet the President Pratibha Patil on January 24 to complain against the Governor to demand his immediate recall.
Unfazed by the BJP's threat of stir against him, Bhardwaj had said he would take a decision in two days on the complaint by a lawyers' forum seeking permission to prosecute Yeddyurappa and Home Minister R Ashoka on alleged land scam charges.
The provocation for BJP came from Bharadwaj's "Ulta Chor Kotwal ko dante" remark that drew instant protest from ruling BJP which accused the Governor of having a prejudiced mindset.
An emergent meeting of the cabinet had Wednesday passed the resolution asking the Governor to drop the proceedings to prosecute Yeddyurappa and Home Minister R Ashok on a complaint with him, saying such a move was nothing short of a "farce and colourable" exercise on his part.
BJP also mounted a sharp attack on the Governor and deputed an eight-member ministerial team to take him on.