The cat’s finally out of the bag. Former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has told his loyalists that if the BJP high command does not name him state party chief soon, he would have to take a “drastic decision”. Not only that, Mr Yeddyurappa expects Assembly elections to be held as early as December this year. On Friday, this newspaper had reported of his secret meetings with Congress leaders, who had reportedly told him he would have to quit the BJP before they could agree on any pre-poll arrangement with him.
On Saturday, Mr. Yeddyurappa told his loyalists that if the BJP central leadership “ignored him”, they would make it easy for him to walk out of the party. “Assembly elections are expected as early as December, to coincide with elections in other states such as Gujarat. The party high command has to take a decision quickly,” Mr Yeddyurappa reportedly told his loyalists. Sources close to Mr Yeddyurappa said that his coterie wanted him to make up his mind on his next steps before they stepped up pressure on the BJP high command to name him the next state unit chief.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, in turn, reportedly said, “Let the party high command decide on the state unit chief’s post. If they ignore me, they will make it easier for me to take a more definite decision”. In preparation, Mr. Yeddyurappa plans to go on a state-wide tour. But, at the meeting that lasted several hours at his Dollars Colony residence, while he suggested to ministers loyal to him that they organise public rallies in drought-hit areas, the ministers were said to be wary of doing so.