Yeddy "confident" of being reinstated after meeting Gadkari

 Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, insisting on his reinstatement, today expressed happiness over his meeting with BJP President Nitin Gadkari and said he was confident the party leadership will take the "right decision".

Emerging from a long meeting with Gadkari and central leaders including General Secretaries Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ramlal, Yeddyurappa said, "I am happy with the outcome of the meeting...I am confident that party president and the party will take the right decision in the interest of the party and the people of Karnataka."

Yeddyurappa claimed that Gadkari had conveyed to him that he will take an "appropriate decision" in the light of his request that he be reinstated as Chief Minister after the Karnataka High Court gave him a clean chit in a graft case.

The Lingayat leader met Gadkari after his successor to the post of chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda and state unit president K Eshwarappa had met the party president.
Significantly, while Gowda unilaterally announced to the media that he had been assured by the party high command that there will be no change of leadership "at present" in Karnataka government, Yeddyurappa was accompanied by Pradhan who is in-charge of the state when he made his statement.

Party sources said Yeddyurappa has been asked to have patience for some more time. The Central leadership wants the on-going biennial Rajya Sabha polls to get over on March 30.

"Gadkari will take an appropriate decision in consultation with the central leadership. He has also advised all parties concerned to maintain strict party discipline," Prasad said.