Yeddyurappa’s ultimatum: Make me Karnataka CM by February 27

Mangaloretoday/ CNN-IBN

Bangalore, Feb 24: A crisis seems to be brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka. Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has issued an ultimatum to his party. Sources say Yeddyurappa has said that he should be reinstated as the Chief Minister by the February 27, failing which he will decide on his next course of action.

 

He also said that the present Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda was getting too close for comfort to his rival JDS chief HD Deve Gowda. Yeddyurappa had instated Sadananda Gowda as Chief Minister after he was forced to resign in a graft case in October, 2011.

At a meeting of legislators convened by Yeddyurappa at his Race Course residence, an apparently restless Yeddyurappa gave a piece of his mind and exhorted his supporters to exert pressure on the party leadership to make him chief minister again, sources close to him said.
Yeddyurappa said that Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda was getting too close for comfort to his rival HD Deve Gowda.


Yeddyurappa spoke about his key contribution in building the party from the grassroots level in the state, and questioned his removal, pointing to some chief ministers in other states continuing in office despite court cases against them.

Yeddyurappa was forced to resign more than six months ago after a Lokayukta report indicted him for illegal mining, and has in recent weeks been making vigorous behind-the-scenes efforts to regain the chief ministership.

Yeddyurappa turns 70 on February 27 and has extended invitation to all his supporting legislators to attend a lunch hosted by him on that day.

When his reaction was sought, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said, "setting up of a deadline and leadership change are media creations".

"Don’t devote importance to the lunch-gathering," he said on the Yeddyurappa-convened meeting which he could have attended till the end but for the need to participate in a function at Mangalore. Gowda visited Yeddyurappa’s residence for a brief while.

Asserting that there is no leadership change, the chief minister said, "I will present the budget. There is no doubt in it".

BJP President Nitin Gadkari will be in Bangalore on Friday to defuse the tension.

Gadkari will also chair a brain-storming session of BJP MLAs and MPs. He will also assess BJP’s poll preparedness.