Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Beleaguered Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, facing allegations of corruption and
nepotism, yet again staved off a mounting challenge to his
leadership as BJP on Wednesday announced that he will continue in
office.
"After consultations with senior party leaders and
state leaders, the party has decided to continue with BS
Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka," BJP chief Nitin
Gadkari said in a statement that set at rest political
uncertainty in the ruling party in the state.
Reading out the statement, party spokesperson Prakash
Javedekar quoted Gadkari as saying that while the Commission
of Inquiry appointed by the Karnataka government would go into
the allegations of land allotment against him, the party was
also requested by the Chief Minister to go into these or any
other allegations.
"I shall take adequate assistance to look into the
same," Gadkari said.
With Gadkari`s statement, the 67-year-old leader, the
first BJP Chief Minister in South, has successfully defied the
party leadership which had veered round to his removal in the
wake of mounting allegations of land allotment to his family
members and receipt of money from mining lobby and managed to
have his way.
In his remarks after the formal announcement by the BJP, Yeddyurappa told reporters that he was asked to stay on as CM by the party leadership.
The party leadership is aware of baseless allegations against me, he added.
While reports emerged that the party was wanting him
to make way for a successor, the Chief Minister had put up a
defiance saying he would not resign. But yesterday, he changed
his tone saying he will abide by the party leadership which
was interpreted as a sign that he reached an understanding
with the High Command that he may continue in office.
The decision on his continuance comes amidst
indications that the dominant Lingayat community to which it
belongs may not take his removal lightly and also in view of
the upcoming local body elections in the state when
destablisation of the leadership may not be considered good.
The party chief said with panchayat and zilla parishad
elections in Karnataka round the corner, leaders and workers
should work as one to ensure the success of the party.
Gadkari said the allegations against Yeddyurappa had
created an "environment of uncertainty" in the state for the
past few days. The Chief Minister has denied all these
allegations and also offered his response, both in public and
to the party leaders, he said.
Javedekar said there can be no comparison between the
allegations of land scam in Karnataka with 2G spectrum scam
and CWG scams. "It is not a matter of perception or
allegations. It is a fact of willingness for enquiry which
Congress is refusing," he said.
"In Karnataka, an inquiry has already been ordered but
in the cases of 2G spectrum and other scams, the Congress
started acting only after Supreme Court intervention," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
