Bangalore: Sulking former Karnataka Chief
Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday virtually set a deadline for
BJP leadership to give him a suitable position, saying he will
wait till January 15 for the party to take a decision.
Yeddyurappa, who has been lobbying for a suitable position
ever since he was removed from the post of chief minister in
August last year on corruption charges, exuded confidence that
the BJP high command would take a decision at an "appropriate
time" on his demand for which he would wait till January 15.
He told reporters here that if need be he would visit
Delhi during the second week of this month. "Let me see what
will happen. I will wait till January 15," he said.
Yeddyruppa's remark comes amid reports that he might float
his own party if the BJP central leadership does not meet his
demand by then.
The former chief minister ruled out the prospect of a
mid-term poll in the state and asserted that the BJP
government would complete its full term, which lasts till
2013.
Earlier, a delegation of BJP MLAs from the city, under the
leadership of Home Minister R Ashoka, met Yeddyurappa and
pleaded with him not to take any "hasty decision" on his
future political course.
Ashoka said they appealed to Yeddyurappa not to leave the
party, apparently referring to reports that he might float his
own party if the BJP central leadership did not respond to his
demand for rehabilitation.
Yeddyurappa was made to quit by the central leadership
after he was indicted in the Lokayukta report on illegal
mining and replaced by D V Sadananda Gowda, who was considered
his loyalist but is now trying to come out of his shadow.
Gowda has been maintaining that he would continue as Chief
Minister till the next assembly elections.
Yedyurappa's loyalists have been insisting that either the
party re-instate him as chief minister or make him the state
party chief.
Last week, Yeddyurappa and state BJP chief K S Eshwarappa
were locked in a war of words over leadership issue.
In an angry outburst, Yeddyurappa has accused Eshwarappa
of trying to oust him from the party and even being
responsible for sending him to jail.
Eshwarappa had said no position could be given to
Yeddyurappa till he came clean in the corruption cases.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 19:39