Bangalore: Mounting pressure on the BJP
central leadership, former Karnataka chief minister BS
Yeddyurappa`s loyalists, including five ministers, on Wednesday held
a meeting here to press for his reinstatement.
The meeting at Yeddyurappa`s residence was attended by
ministers Shobha Karandlage, C M Uadasi, Umesh Katti, Murugesh
Nirani and MP Renukacharya, party sources said.
Forced to quit in July by the central leadership in the
wake of his indictment in the Lokayukta report on alleged
illegal mining, Yeddyurappa has been sending signals that he
wants to be reinstated in the post.
Since the BJP leadership appeared to be in no hurry to
meet his demand, he and his supporters have been lobbying for
either his reinstatement as the chief minister or declare him
as the `sole leader` of the state unit.
Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, chosen by Yeddyurappa
himself to succeed him, had recently said he would continue in
the top post till next assembly elections, due in two years.
"Yeddyurappa is the undisputed leader of the party and he
was instrumental in propping up Gowda`s name for the chief
minister`s post," Excise Minister MP Renukacharya told
reporters here after the meeting.
According to sources, Yeddyurappa, who led the BJP in
forming its first ever government in the south, is expected to
take a delegation of his loyalists to Delhi in the first week
of January to press for his case.
Yeddyurappa had recently said everyone in the state knew
he was the `sole leader` for the state BJP and did not care
about party state unit chief K S Eshwarappa`s insistence on
collective leadership.
Gowda and Eshwarappa are currently camping in New Delhi
to hold consultations with party central leaders, including L
K Advani, on expansion the state cabinet.
Though Gowda`s ministry has seven vacant slots, BJP
sources say only four or five are expected to be filled during
the next expansion, leaving two berths vacant as part of the
strategy to meet any political exigencies.
PTI
