Yeddy gets backing of MPs, MLAs, BJP meet for new CM put off

Bangalore, July 29 (PTI) A rebellion of sorts broke out
in Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in south Indian state Karnataka
on Friday with Yeddyurappa loyalists pressing the high command
to allow him to continue as Chief Minister, claiming he has
the support of over half the party MLAs and MPs.
In what appears to be a show of strength by 68-year-old
B S Yeddyurappa that could delay electing his successor, his
camp legislators told the party's central observers Rajnath
Singh and Arun Jaitley that it should reconsider the decision
asking him to resign. The observers were told that the opinion
of individual MLAs must be ascertained.
As Yeddyurappa continued to be a rallying point for his
loyalists upset over his exit, the BJP Legislature party
meeting scheduled on Friday has been put off amid reports that
Yeddyurappa is pressing hard that the next chief minister
should be his nominee.
"75 MLAs, 15 Lok Sabha MPs, three Rajya Sabha MPs, 20
MLCs want Yeddyurappa as leader," claimed Rajya Sabha MP
Prabhakar Kore, adding they want the high command to allow
BJP's first chief minister in the South to continue in his
post. BJP has 121 MLAs in a House of 224.
Some of the legislators also openly demanded that
Yeddyurappa be made the president of the state unit of BJP and
that he should choose his successor.
Rajnath and Jaitley also met Yeddyurappa at his
residence in a bid to convince him on the need for a smooth
change in guard with the Monsoon session of Parliament just
couple of days away when issues relating to corruption are
expected to be high on the agenda.
Singh asserted efforts were underway to elect a new
leader by "consensus".
"A majority of MLAs, MLCs and Lok Sabha members are with
Yeddyurappa. Yeddyurappa is our leader", loyalist Minister M P
Renukacharya said. "We appeal to the central leaders to
continue with Yeddyurappa (as Chief Minister)".
Before the developments unfolded here, Yeddyurappa, who
reluctantly agreed to resign on Thursday following the high
command's decision in the wake of his severe indictment by the
Lokayukta in the illegal mining scam, said he will be
officially submitting his resignation to Governor H R
Bharadwaj on July 31.
In his first comments after keeping the party on
tenterhooks, Yeddyurappa said in a statement he had toiled for
40 years to build the party in Karnataka from scratch and it
was his "committed desire" to work for its development in
future also.
Yeddyurappa while breaking his silence after the party
asked him to step down said he has agreed to resign as a
"disciplined worker" of BJP.
Senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu and in-charge of
party affairs in Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan also held
consultations on the issue of electing a new leader.
As the developments unfolded, a section of MLAs met at
the residence of Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy, some
others at the Chief Minister's, while a few more at the party
office where Eshwarappa and Ananth Kumar were present.
Naidu said the election process is going to be a smooth
affair and the new Chief Minister would most probably take
office on August one, after Yeddyurappa submits his
resignation on July 31.
The names doing the rounds are State BJP president K S
Eshwarappa, Lok Sabha MP Sadanand Gowda, Higher Education
Minister V S Acharya, Law and Justice Minister Suresh Kumar S,
party national general secretary and MP Ananth Kumar, Rural
Development minister Jagadish Shettar, a Lingayat leader and
Yeddyurappa's close associate and minister Shoba Karandlaje.
D B Chandre Gowda, an MP said, "Karnataka BJP MPs are of
the unanimous opinion that Yeddyurappa should not resign.
He is not an individual. He is an institution as CM. He
should have taken the opinion of all elected representatives.
We appeal to the high command to reconsider."
Gowda also said, "The Lokayukta report has lost its
sanctity--it leaked."
Housing Minister V Somanna said, "You all know he has
said he will resign on 31st. But it is not the right time. Lok
Sabha MPs have expressed their opinion. Deve Gowda has said
his party won't survive if Yeddyurappa stays for another two
years as CM."
Another MLA S R Vishwanath, said: "We have pressed them
(observers) to allow Yeddyurappa to continue".
He said Rajnath and Jaitley asked the MLAs to give their
opinion individually but "we told them we will give it
together".
As the central leaders left the Chief Minister's Race
Course residence, there were scenes of jubilation among the
Yeddyurappa camp as some of the Ministers and MLAs loyal to
him flashed signs of victory.
Sanjay Patil, MLA, said the legislators told the two
leaders about the huge contribution of Yeddyurappa in
building the party.
He said removing Yeddyurappa would amount to "playing
into the hands of the opposition parties (Congress and JDS).
B P Harish, MLA, said the legislators told the
two central leaders in "one voice" that the decision asking
Yeddyurappa's resignation without consulting them has hurt
them.
He alleged that the Lokayukta report on illegal mining
was motivated and a "conspiracy" to dislodge Yeddyurappa.