With none other than BJP president Nitin Gadkari flatly rejecting former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa’s demand to replace Sadananda Gowda as CM and sending out a firm message that those who can’t toe the party line can quit, the crisis in the ruling BJP has deepened.
All eyes are now on the birthday bash organised by Yeddyurappa loyalists on February 27 where the former CM will announce his course of action. The options before the Lingayat strongman are limited: Break the party he built from scratch in the past 30 years, or fall in line with Mr Gadkari’s diktat and accept the leadership of Sadananda Gowda.
That the BJP leadership has a tough task on its hands became evident hours after Mr Gadkari’s announcement, with Mr Yeddyurappa’s supporters swiftly deciding to convert the birthday event into a show of strength. It remains to be seen if the BSY camp will wait till March 3, when the BJP core committee is expected to meet in Delhi to discuss the crisis, or go its own way.
The Supreme Court is likely to decide on March 2 on the report by the central empowered committee on referring to the CBI the Jindal-BSY quid pro quo deal struck when he was CM. If the decision goes against Mr Yeddyurappa, it could well be curtains for him, ensuring that Sadananda Gowda remains firmly in the saddle for the rest of his tenure, sources said.