The recent visit of BJP Karnataka in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, seems to have has given former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his supporters an upper hand in their attempts to wrest the CM post from Sadananda Gowda. Party sources said that the party central leadership is now left with only two options: One, ask incumbent CM Sadananda Gowda to go ahead with the Cabinet expansion, and two, opt for a change of leadership considering the fact that the next Assembly elections are just a year away, sources said.
The recent Lok Sabha byelection to the Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency has served as an eye-opener to the BJP with the party candidate suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Congress. This was a poll campaign Yeddyurappa had skipped and it led to disastrous results for the BJP. As of now, the high command has not given a clear picture about a change of leadership. However, they have given assurances to both groups that their interests will be taken care of.
Mr Pradhan has also requested Mr Yeddyurappa to wait till the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) submits its report to the apex court, sources added. Yeddyurappa is facing charges of doling out favours to mining majors in return for benefits to companies run by his kin. On Wednesday, the CEC will hear BSY’s counsel on the charges made against him before submitting its report to the Court which will have to take a final call on whether the case should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The former chief minister knows that the party central leadership has only two options left before it and has therefore decided to wait and watch the next move of the high command. Before leaving for the drought hit areas in north Karnataka, Mr Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru that he is hopeful the party high command will take a suitable decision on the leadership issue. “I am confident that the central leadership will give good news to the state soon. Till the party takes a decision I have the patience to wait”, Mr Yeddyurappa said. The former CM will start his second leg of the tour of drought hit areas in Bidar and Gulbaraga from Wednesday and is slated to return to Bengaluru on the same day.