<p>Renewing his efforts to get back the chief minister’s post, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has convened a meeting of party legislators and MPs at his Race Course residence on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The meeting has been convened with twin objectives - to find out whether he can get the support of the legislators which can lead to dislodging Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and also send a message to the party’s leaders in Delhi that he is still a force to reckon with in the State. <br /><br />Yeddyurappa, who was lying low due to the byelection campaign to Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary seat, has again resorted to exerting pressure on the party high command to fulfil his demands. His assistant Siddalingaswamy contacted all the legislators and MPs over the phone to invite them for the meeting. The polling concludes at 5 pm and Yeddyurappa’s meeting commences at <br />3 pm. <br /><br />Sources close to Yeddyurappa said he was planning to mount pressure on Sadananda Gowda to quit his post by making the party legislators pass a resolution to this effect. This time, sources said, the Lingayat strongman has given a choice to the party high command: to either reinstate him as chief minister or make his nominee the chief minister. His one-point agenda is to oust Gowda before he presents the budget on March 21. <br /><br />However, it is learnt that not many among his loyalists are ready to sign such a resolution. None of them, especially the ministers, are ready to lose the position they are holding or are ready to face early elections. Party national president Nitin Gadkari had dared the dissidents to quit the party during his recent visit. However, Yeddyurappa loyalists have been vocal in demanding position and honour to their leader. <br /><br />In case Yeddyurappa insists that a resolution should be passed at the meeting, a good number of his loyalists will not sign it, though they may pressure the Central leaders to give a suitable position to him. Some of the MLAs are cut up with him as he did not campaign for the party in the bypoll. <br /><br />Soon after getting a clean chit from the High Court of Karnataka in the illegal mining case recently, the former chief minister had met Gadkari in Delhi seeking his reinstatement. Yeddyurappa is said to be making desperate attempts as he is very keen on presenting the State budget, which is most likely to be the last one before the next Assembly polls.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa, as usual, kept everyone guessing and remained incommunicado to the media. This is not the first time he has convened a meeting to muster support for himself in the party. But at every meeting, his supporters either remained mute or suggested him to put his demand forward at the right forum in Delhi. He used the backward classes convention organised by his party to coincide with his birthday last month, to drive home a message to the Central leaders that he can’t be taken for granted. <br /><br />But he stopped short of announcing his decision about his future course of action. Later, his loyalists organised a bash in Hubli to felicitate him. Not more than 40 legislators attended the convention. At that meeting too, he did not announce anything that would either topple the government or decide his future. <br /><br />He and his supporters had reportedly decided to keep off the Chintan Manthan baithak inaugurated by the party’s national president Nitin Gadkari. But Yeddyurappa’s supporters made him change his mind and ensured that he attended the inaugural session. Of course, the two-day baithak did not go beyond the inauguration. So far, neither Gadkari nor any other leader in Delhi has made any statement openly supporting him or giving hints that Gowda would be asked to make way for Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa are likely to be in Delhi on Monday to brief the Central leaders regarding the developments in the party. <br /></p>
<p>Renewing his efforts to get back the chief minister’s post, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has convened a meeting of party legislators and MPs at his Race Course residence on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The meeting has been convened with twin objectives - to find out whether he can get the support of the legislators which can lead to dislodging Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and also send a message to the party’s leaders in Delhi that he is still a force to reckon with in the State. <br /><br />Yeddyurappa, who was lying low due to the byelection campaign to Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary seat, has again resorted to exerting pressure on the party high command to fulfil his demands. His assistant Siddalingaswamy contacted all the legislators and MPs over the phone to invite them for the meeting. The polling concludes at 5 pm and Yeddyurappa’s meeting commences at <br />3 pm. <br /><br />Sources close to Yeddyurappa said he was planning to mount pressure on Sadananda Gowda to quit his post by making the party legislators pass a resolution to this effect. This time, sources said, the Lingayat strongman has given a choice to the party high command: to either reinstate him as chief minister or make his nominee the chief minister. His one-point agenda is to oust Gowda before he presents the budget on March 21. <br /><br />However, it is learnt that not many among his loyalists are ready to sign such a resolution. None of them, especially the ministers, are ready to lose the position they are holding or are ready to face early elections. Party national president Nitin Gadkari had dared the dissidents to quit the party during his recent visit. However, Yeddyurappa loyalists have been vocal in demanding position and honour to their leader. <br /><br />In case Yeddyurappa insists that a resolution should be passed at the meeting, a good number of his loyalists will not sign it, though they may pressure the Central leaders to give a suitable position to him. Some of the MLAs are cut up with him as he did not campaign for the party in the bypoll. <br /><br />Soon after getting a clean chit from the High Court of Karnataka in the illegal mining case recently, the former chief minister had met Gadkari in Delhi seeking his reinstatement. Yeddyurappa is said to be making desperate attempts as he is very keen on presenting the State budget, which is most likely to be the last one before the next Assembly polls.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa, as usual, kept everyone guessing and remained incommunicado to the media. This is not the first time he has convened a meeting to muster support for himself in the party. But at every meeting, his supporters either remained mute or suggested him to put his demand forward at the right forum in Delhi. He used the backward classes convention organised by his party to coincide with his birthday last month, to drive home a message to the Central leaders that he can’t be taken for granted. <br /><br />But he stopped short of announcing his decision about his future course of action. Later, his loyalists organised a bash in Hubli to felicitate him. Not more than 40 legislators attended the convention. At that meeting too, he did not announce anything that would either topple the government or decide his future. <br /><br />He and his supporters had reportedly decided to keep off the Chintan Manthan baithak inaugurated by the party’s national president Nitin Gadkari. But Yeddyurappa’s supporters made him change his mind and ensured that he attended the inaugural session. Of course, the two-day baithak did not go beyond the inauguration. So far, neither Gadkari nor any other leader in Delhi has made any statement openly supporting him or giving hints that Gowda would be asked to make way for Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa are likely to be in Delhi on Monday to brief the Central leaders regarding the developments in the party. <br /></p>
