BSY to hold fire till end of Budget session

The political scene in the State, which witnessed hectic activity following leadership tussle in the ruling BJP, is likely to witness a slump till March 30 with the Yeddyurappa camp deciding to lie low till the end of the current Budget session of the legislature. 

Leaders, representing various factions of the BJP, returned to Bangalore on Friday after holding separate consultations with the party central leadership in New Delhi.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, B S Yeddyurappa said he would accept the decision of the central leadership.  Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, however,  continued to insist there would be no change of guard in the State.

The party central leaders are understood to have done more of listening than giving assurances when these factions met them in Delhi. 

It is learnt that the top leadership would send a senior party functionary to Bangalore to hold consultations with various factions during the first week of April. 

The central leaders are said to have asked  Yeddyurappa to have patience for some more time. However, sources close to Yeddyurappa said the central leadership had dropped enough indications that he would be “accommodated suitably” soon after the Budget session, which concludes on March 30.

At least four groups - one led by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and State party president K S Eshwarappa, another by B S Yeddyurappa and two minor factions with varying affiliations, one led by Home Minister R Ashoka and another by Municipal Administration Minister Balachandra Jarkiholi - had met BJP central leaders over the last three days.

The factional leaders also met party national president Nitin Gadkari, senior leaders L K Advani, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, respectively,  among others. 

“It is left to the party to take a decision on utilising my services in whatever capacity. I will accept whatever decision the party high command takes,” Yeddyurappa, who had made a renewed attempt to get reinstated as chief minister, said in Bangalore.

On his part, Sadananda Gowda claimed the party central leaders were happy about his governance and the budget presented by him. “There was no question of any leadership change. The topic did not come up for discussion,” Gowda said adding that it was left to the party high command to decide on what position should be given to Yeddyurappa. 

Jarkiholi said he had urged the leaders in New Delhi not to replace Gowda. Three ministers in the State Cabinet - C P Yogeeshwara, Anand Asnotikar and Varthur Prakash - had accompanied him to New Delhi. Meanwhile, Labour Minister B N Bache Gowda and former minister Aravind Limbavali left for the national capital on Saturday night to place their point of view before the party central leadership.