<p>All eyes are on the BJP central leadership to see who they will pick to succeed B S Yediyurappa, who on Monday resigned as the chief minister, drawing the curtains on uncertainty that surrounded his continuation.</p>.<p>The change of guard comes with the next Assembly election less than two years away in Karnataka, the only southern state where the BJP has a formidable base.</p>.<p>The transition process has kick-started with the BJP deploying Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is expected to come to Bengaluru along with the party’s Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh. They will hold talks with leaders here and the BJP’s parliamentary board will decide. </p>.<p>According to sources, the transition process, which the BJP hopes will be smooth, is expected to take place over the next two-three days.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/first-edit/end-of-an-era-for-karnataka-bjp-1013231.html" target="_blank">End of an era for Karnataka BJP</a></strong></p>.<p>Yediyurappa, 78, submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after a tearful farewell speech on the occasion of his government completing two years in office. Gehlot accepted the resignation, dissolved the Council of Ministers and asked Yediyurappa to continue as caretaker CM till the new government takes shape.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Union ministers and MPs were seen “congratulating” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi at Parliament House, suggesting that he was one of the front-runners to replace Yediyurappa. Joshi refused to comment. Besides Joshi, BJP national general secretaries B L Santhosh, C T Ravi, MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad, ministers Murugesh Nirani, Basavaraj Bommai, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri among others are being speculated upon.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/please-excuse-me-b-s-yediyurappa-goes-with-emotional-speech-1013157.html" target="_blank">'Please excuse me': BSY goes with emotional speech</a></strong></p>.<p>However, there is no official word from the BJP. Some say a surprise could be in the offing. </p>.<p>Yediyurappa told reporters that he stepped down on his own. “It was my decision to resign the day I completed two years as CM. I have voluntarily resigned to provide an opportunity for others to serve. Neither PM Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah forced me to resign,” he said, adding that he had not proposed any names for his replacement. </p>.<p>It is said that the BJP is weighing its chief ministerial options. It could play safe and replace Yediyurappa with another Lingayat. A non-Lingayat CM will mean a deputy chief ministerial position to another Lingayat and it is said that this could go to Yediyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra. </p>.<p>The choice of the CM and ministers will have to balance various caste combinations.</p>
<p>All eyes are on the BJP central leadership to see who they will pick to succeed B S Yediyurappa, who on Monday resigned as the chief minister, drawing the curtains on uncertainty that surrounded his continuation.</p>.<p>The change of guard comes with the next Assembly election less than two years away in Karnataka, the only southern state where the BJP has a formidable base.</p>.<p>The transition process has kick-started with the BJP deploying Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is expected to come to Bengaluru along with the party’s Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh. They will hold talks with leaders here and the BJP’s parliamentary board will decide. </p>.<p>According to sources, the transition process, which the BJP hopes will be smooth, is expected to take place over the next two-three days.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/first-edit/end-of-an-era-for-karnataka-bjp-1013231.html" target="_blank">End of an era for Karnataka BJP</a></strong></p>.<p>Yediyurappa, 78, submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after a tearful farewell speech on the occasion of his government completing two years in office. Gehlot accepted the resignation, dissolved the Council of Ministers and asked Yediyurappa to continue as caretaker CM till the new government takes shape.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Union ministers and MPs were seen “congratulating” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi at Parliament House, suggesting that he was one of the front-runners to replace Yediyurappa. Joshi refused to comment. Besides Joshi, BJP national general secretaries B L Santhosh, C T Ravi, MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad, ministers Murugesh Nirani, Basavaraj Bommai, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri among others are being speculated upon.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/please-excuse-me-b-s-yediyurappa-goes-with-emotional-speech-1013157.html" target="_blank">'Please excuse me': BSY goes with emotional speech</a></strong></p>.<p>However, there is no official word from the BJP. Some say a surprise could be in the offing. </p>.<p>Yediyurappa told reporters that he stepped down on his own. “It was my decision to resign the day I completed two years as CM. I have voluntarily resigned to provide an opportunity for others to serve. Neither PM Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah forced me to resign,” he said, adding that he had not proposed any names for his replacement. </p>.<p>It is said that the BJP is weighing its chief ministerial options. It could play safe and replace Yediyurappa with another Lingayat. A non-Lingayat CM will mean a deputy chief ministerial position to another Lingayat and it is said that this could go to Yediyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra. </p>.<p>The choice of the CM and ministers will have to balance various caste combinations.</p>
