Armed with HC verdict BSY ups ante for CM post

Yeddyurappa sets 24-hr deadline for high command

Buoyed by the High Court order quashing the FIR against him in the illegal mining case, BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa is learnt to have made a renewed bid with the party’s central leadership to reinstate him as chief minister.

This time, it is said, he has set a 24-hour deadline for the high command.

But he has decided not to go to Delhi to renew his demand. He is learnt to have spoken to the party’s national president Nitin Gadkari over phone following the court verdict and reminded him about his assurance to make him the chief minister once he is cleared of the charges. Though he was not vocal on his demand, his followers openly demanded that he should get back the post. He is said to have asked the central leadership to send a senior party functionary to Bangalore soon.

A Yeddyurappa loyalist, who did not like to be named, said a section of the MLAs will wait for a few days. In case, the central leadership does not reinstate him, they plan to call a parallel legislature party meeting and elect Yeddyurappa their leader. Later, they will meet Governor H R Bhardwaj and withdraw support to the Sadananda Gowda government.

In the Lokayukta report, Yeddyurappa and his family members were indicted for ‘receiving’ illegal gratification to show an official favour to South West Mining firm and JSW. The report stated that this was an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. “I consider it necessary to recommend to the competent authority (governor) to take appropriate steps and initiate criminal proceedings against the chief minister,” the Lokayukta had stated in his report. The rest of the cases he is facing in court pertain to land denotification.

Yeddyurappa, reacting to the verdict, said, “The truth has prevailed. By the blessings of God and people, I have got justice from the court. I always held judiciary in high esteem.”

He expressed confidence that the party’s central leadership would render “justice” to him. “I am not going to ask for anything. It is left to the high command to decide. I have 100 per cent trust in my party leadership,” Yeddyurappa said. However, sources close to Yeddyurappa said that the BJP leader had already become aggressive. He reportedly told some legislators who called on him that he would be presenting the State budget as chief minister and finance minister later this month. Yeddyurappa is learnt to have been irked when he was told that Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had indicated he would not make way for reinstatement of his predecessor, by stating that there were other serious cases pending against him.

Wednesday’s High Court decision has also boosted the support base of Yeddyurappa, which had dwindled after Gadkari had openly snubbed the BJP leader at the “Chintana Manthana” baithak, for his repeated efforts to regain the chief minister’s post.


‘Not proven guilty’

Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the  Assembly said: “Yeddyurappa is not entirely guilt free yet. It has nowhere been said that he has been proved innocent. There are still  many complaints against him. Hence, he should not be reinstated as chief minister. If the party leaders bring him back as chief minister, it will lead to another national embarrassment.”