Former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa could be on the comeback trail. If not as chief minister in the coming months, then at least as the BJP’s state unit president.
The only hurdle — Lal Krishna Advani and Ananth Kumar.
Sources in the saffron camp have said that following the drubbing the party received at the hustings during the Bellary bypoll, the BJP-RSS strategists are working overtime to rehabilitate their fallen hero.
Mr Yeddyurappa’s lukewarm campaign proved the point that without BSY as their star campaigner, the Lingayat votebank would not go their way. The impending end to his political hibernation could take place as early as January 1, 2012 when he could be brought back as chief minister or given the post of state party chief.
The dramatic developments are a direct fall-out of the Bellary debacle, the party’s fears of losing its vote base in north Karnataka while pre-empting BSY from breaking the party and joining NCP or JD (U).
The Eshwarappa camp approached Mr Yeddy-urappa on Wednesday night with a request to bury the hatchet, saying they were ready to accept him as their leader. Mr Eshwarappa reportedly expressed his desire to step down from the party president post to accommodate him. Mr Eshwarappa who led the Bellary bypoll campaign from the front, realised that he could not match Mr Yeddyurappa’s popularity.
So far, RSS leaders said they prefer to make BSY party president.