Yeddyurappa to Sadananda Gowda: Pay my price first

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Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is reportedly pulling out all the stops to prevent incumbent chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda from filing his nominations for the Legislative Council on Monday.

If Mr Gowda, who has been asked by the party chiefs to file his nominations as directed, goes ahead, it will close the last window of opportunity for BSY to make a comeback.

In a move described by some within the BJP as nothing short of “blackmail” of the central party leaders, Mr Yeddyurappa has reportedly given Mr Gowda until Sunday to persuade the BJP to reappoint him as CM or make him state party chief. Failing which, he has reportedly threatened to break the party.

“Mr Yeddyurappa has cited the example of Union home minister, P. Chidambaram. If he can continue, why shouldn’t BSY?,” the Lingayat strongman’s supporters said. Mr Gowda has reportedly already signed the nomination papers.

The Congress, unwilling to face the backlash that destroyed the JD(S) in 2008 when the BJP milked the sympathy wave against the 'backstabbing' H.D. Kumaraswamy, is poised to field an official candidate in the council elections, successfully destroying plans by JD (S) and rebel Sreeramulu (who claims he has 22 BJP MLAs with him ) to support a joint candidate against the BJP.

The Congress move will split opposition votes and see Mr Gowda coast through, ending BSY’s hopes of a comeback, analysts said.