Bangalore, Aug 2 : In an apparent bid to reject criticism that he wants to rule by proxy by installing D V Sadananda Gowda as his successor, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today asserted he did not want to become “a super CM”.
“I don't want to become a super CM”, he told reporters here as the race for the Chief Minister's post hotted up ahead of the BJP legislative party meeting slated here tomorrow. Yeddyurappa, who resigned from the post, said he would “obey the orders” of the party and leaders like Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani and (party President) Nitin Gadkari, “who are going to guide us.”
As the BJP grapples with the crisis over the successor issue, it appeared that it would be a straight contest between Yeddyurappa's nominee Gowda and Jagadish Shettar, being propped up by the rival camp led by party national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar and state BJP Chief K S Eshwarappa.
Yeddyurappa resigned on Sunday in the wake of Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting him after much defiance and his exit has led the BJP to another crisis as party leaders try to find a successor with the state unit badly divided.
“I am going to tour the State for the welfare of the people, and I don't have any personal agenda”, Yeddyurappa said.
Informing that central observers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh would arrive here this evening, he said: “Most probably... unanimously... our leader will be selected (tomorrow), and from day after tomorrow, we will only concentrate on the development of the state.”
Yeddyurappa's comment—that he does not want to become a super CM—comes in the wake of a section of the rival side trying to project that Gowda would be his “puppet” and that Yeddyurappa would pull the strings.
Meanwhile, seeking to steer clear of any controversy this time around, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said he would not take any “action in haste” as he expressed confidence that the ruling BJP would be able to elect a new leader, after B S Yeddyurappa resigned as Chief Minister.
Responding to reporters' questions on the sidelines of a function at Raj Bhavan, Bhardwaj, perceived as being “hostile” to the state government in some BJP quarters, said he has no reason to believe that the ruling party would not be able to elect a new leader.
Noting that it's the responsibility of the legislative party to elect its leader, he said he expects it to decide. “I don't want to take any action in haste. Until tomorrow (when legislative party meeting is slated), I cannot comment.”
Bhardwaj, who has twice in the past recommended President's rule in the state but was not accepted by the Centre, said he would give “full time” to the BJP to elect its leader in a “good way”, and he wants to see that “things (election of new leader) happens perfectly.”
Stating that he discharged his functions with utmost seriousness in the last two years, the Governor noted that he had raised the (illegal mining) issue earlier, which has now turned out to be true in the Lokayukta report but added: “I don't want to take responsibility in my hands.” Asked if he would “step in” if the BJP failed to elect a new leader tomorrow, Bhardwaj said: “I have already stepped in. I have accepted the resignation of the Chief Minister. We cannot create chaos in the state. We have to watch and see, and heavy responsibility lies on me.”
He also seemed to express displeasure on the absence of Yeddyurappa and R Ashoka, who were slated to attend the Investiture Ceremony at Raj Bhavan, where he distributed medals awarded by the President.
“Today... no Minister was present... such a good ceremony,”Bhardwaj remarked, adding, he told the police and bureaucrats to carry on with their work efficiently as “government will be formed according to the Constitution”. PTI
