The central leadership of the party, including L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu, will meet the prime minister at noon to "impress upon" him that Bhardwaj is acting like an opposition leader in Karnataka, the official said.
However, BJP president Nitin Gadkari will not take part as he is in Bihar for the assembly election campaign, the official said. The BJP government in Karnataka has been in the thick of a crisis since 11 of its legislators, along with five Independents, rebelled against the leadership of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
The chief minister won a confidence motion in the state assembly by voice vote amid chaotic scenes Monday, prompting the governor to recommend president's rule in the state. On Tuesday, the governor gave Yeddyurappa a "fresh opportunity" to prove majority in the house Thursday.