Bangalore, May 14: The political crisis in the ruling BJP in Karnataka today loomed large with rebel leader and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa deciding to take a final call on his future political course by this evening.
“I will consult MPs, MLAs and my supporters today and announce my decision by 4 PM”, Yeddyurappa, who has been fuming at BJP central leadership for “ignoring” him, particularly after the Supreme Court order for a CBI probe into illegal mining during his tenure as chief minister, told reporters.
Yeddyurappa, who visited Siddganga mut pontiff Shivakumara Swamiji of the Lingayat community to which he belongs, attacked BJP General Secretary H N Anantkumar, State unit chief K S Eshwarappa, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and RSS leader Satish.
He accused Anantkumar of “feeding malicious information” about him to BJP leader L K Advani.
“Anantkumar made efforts to topple me from the Chief Ministership at least thrice earlier with the help of mine owners”, Yeddyurappa alleged.
In a damage-control bid, Eshwarappa today ruled out accepting resignations of more than half a dozen MLAs and dropping ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa.
“There is truth in the fact that about more than half a dozen MLAs and ministers have tendered resignation to Yeddyurappa. However, the party will neither accept their resignations nor drop any ministers,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, MLAs and Ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa met at a breakfast meeting at his Race Course residence where the consultation process has begun.
Sources close to Yeddyurappa claim that he has been toying with the idea of quitting BJP, a development that would threaten the survival of the four-year-old BJP government, the first ever in the South.
