The crisis triggered in the Karnataka BJP by former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s determination to regain his lost post is set to go down to the wire with the former CM saying his demand for replacing Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda as chief minister on the eve of the Assembly’s Budget Session was backed by 62 legislators and supported by several party MPs. They are said to have signed a letter seeking Mr Yeddyurappa’s reinstatement by Tuesday, prior to Wednesday’s session.
The MPs who raised the issue with top leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi found a surprise backer in Maneka Gandhi, BJP MP from Aonla, who reportedly railed at Ms Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on BSY’s behalf. She warned the BJP could see the end of its only government in South India, and said it should learn lessons from its debacle in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Yeddyurappa made it clear he and his 62 loyalists, secluded at a resort in the outskirts of the city, will boycott the session on March 21, the day on which the results for the Chikmagalur-Udupi byelection will also be announced. The leadership is likely to weigh the bypoll results before taking a final decision on whether to reinstate Mr Yeddyurappa.