The stage is set for a battle of numbers between the Yeddyurappa and Sadananda Gowda camps in the BJP with the BSY faction claiming the support of 62 of the 120 party MLAs and asserting that it would reach 70 by Tuesday morning. With the Budget session of the state Assembly drawing near, the former CM and his supporters are busy shoring up their numbers even while camping at a resort on the city's outskirts. Mr Yeddyurappa has dashed off the letter of support signed by the 62 MLAs to the party central leadership, a key strategist of the camp and water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Meanwhile, ministers loyal to the former CM have been calling up neutral BJP MLAs trying to persuade them to join their side. Even the legislators close to municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarkiholi who is stoutly opposed to BSY's reinstatement, are being targeted, said sources. These include MLAs S.K. Bellubbi, Dr Sarvabhouma Bagali and Raju Kage. Former revenue minister Karunakar Reddy also turned up at the resort to pledge his support for BSY. Most of the support for BSY is from the Lingayat belts in central and north Karnataka with a few exceptions lik Yelahanka MLA S.R. Vishwanath.
Legislatorss from Bengaluru, the coastal region-to which Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda belongs-and the OBC, SC and ST communities stayed away from the resort where the group is huddled. Meanwhile, BSY loyalists, who held discussions throughout the day, felt that if the party leadership comes up with a proposal to reinstate Yeddyurappa as CM after the budget session, they should agree to it. Unlike in the past, Yeddyurappa is no longer willing to heed the words of a "non-committal" party leadership. He said at a meeting at the resort that unless there was a clear message on change of leadership before the budget session, he was not prepared for talks.
"Though we have not yet received a clear message from the leadership, party president Nitin Gadkari has advised Yeddyurappa not to resort to pressure tactics till a workable solution is trashed out", a senior minister said.