New Delhi: Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday reached New Delhi to meet the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command over the ongoing political crisis in Karnataka following the loss of the party in the Udupi-Chikmagalur bypoll.
On his arrival in the national capital, when asked about his becoming the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said, "I have no idea. I can only tell after meeting the party high command."
Yeddyurappa arrived in Delhi with a clutch of supporters claiming he had no demands. However, his mission has been obvious and he would be meeting senior party leaders L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley.
"I will accept whatever responsibility they will give me in future," he told reporters in Bangalore before leaving for Delhi.
In the capital, he said he had not set any ultimatum or deadline to the party and left it to the leadership to take any decision.
"I have not asked for anything. They are not giving me anything," said the former Karnataka Chief Minister who was forced to step down last year in the wake of Lokayukta indictment in the mining scandal.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders from Karnataka, including Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, party president Eshwarappa and state Law Minister Suresh Kumar have also been summoned to Delhi.
The win by the Congress in the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha bypoll by a margin of 40,000 votes over the BJP candidate is being seen as a huge setback for Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, who is already facing a rebellion by Yeddyurappa and his loyalists.
The seat was vacated by Gowda when he was made the chief minister of Karnataka and had to fight the state Assembly elections after the resignation of Yeddyurappa following allegations of corruption.
Sources say that after the bypoll defeat, Yeddyurappa is likely to be reinstated as the chief minister of the state after the Budget session of Karnataka Assembly.
If the decision to reinstate Yeddyuraapa as Karnataka Chief Minister is taken, it would only be taken after it has been ratified by the Parliamentary party. However, no such Parliamentary party meeting of the BJP has been called as yet.
Sources say a majority of BJP MLAs are in favour of Yeddyurappa becoming the chief minister.
Sources say that Gadkari, Jaitley and Rajnath Singh are in favour of installing Yeddyurappa as the chief minister again.
However, it may be difficult to convince senior party leader LK Advani for the same as he had launched an anti-corruption yatra in 2011 and Sushma Swaraj.
But Yeddyurappa is very important for the BJP is the state as he controls Lingayat votes across Karnataka. Lingayats account for 18 per cent of the voters and are fully with him. He enjoys the support of about 60 BJP MLAs and 13 BJP MPs. He controls many BJP district and taluk units. He can harm party in Lingayat areas in the next election.
Yeddyurappa has a huge money power and has the backing of Gadkari. He is also the senior most BJP leader in Karnataka and its best known face.
(With Additional Inputs from PTI)
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