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Yeddyurappa to quit today
In a signed statement that was read out to the media outside the Chief Minister's residence by minister Basavaraj Bommai, Yeddyurappa said he had already issued a statement on Thursday that he would tender his resignation on July 31 following the decision of the party's parliamentary board and instructions from BJP central leaders. The statement quoted Yeddyurappa as having said that despite his public announcement, “some (sections of the) media are misleading the public that I am not resigning...I, hereby, again clarify that I will submit my resignation on the afternoon of July 31.” It is learnt that after failing to get any assurance till late Friday from the party’s high command on picking his successor as per his recommendation or making him the president of the party’s state unit, Yeddyurappa, met the two central observers - Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley - this morning in their hotel room. The stalemate continued despite the meeting as Yeddyurappa-loyalist MLAs refused to meet the duo from Delhi.However, towards the afternoon and around the time when Yeddyurappa issued the statement reiterating that he would resign tomorrow, there were signs that a compromise formula was being worked out. About 60 MLAs loyal to the Karnataka CM, who later met Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, insisted that Ananth Kumar, five-time MP, should not be made the CM. They also urged the two central observers to make Yeddyurappa president of the BJP’s Karnataka unit. Yeddyurappa has suggested the names of either Sadananda Gowda, MP and a Vokkaliga, or VS Acharya, Higher Education Minister and a Brahmin, for the CM’s post. Names of law minister Suresh Kumar, a Brahmin, and Power Minister Shobha Karandlaje are also doing the rounds. Meanwhile, Ananth Kumar, sensing that the roadblocks put up by Yeddyurappa loyalists for him ascending the CM’s chair will be hard to overcome, Ananth is backing Jagadish Shettar for the post. Shettar, a Lingayat like Yeddyurappa, is not acceptable to the latter. Jaitely and Rajnath have already met a number of BJP MLAs since the morning and hope to meet the remaining lawmakers by night to pave the way for the smooth election of the new leader. The BJP has summoned all its legislators to Bangalore to meet the two observers.
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Bangalore, July 30