Jagadish Shettar to replace Sadananda Gowda as Karnataka CM

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, July 7, 2012: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has decided to replace Sadananda Gowda with BS Yeddyurappa loyalist Jagadish Shettar as the Karnataka Chief Minister. Sources say that the decision was taken at the BJP core group meeting on Saturday at party president Nitin Gadkari’s house.

Sadananda Gowda is likely to submit his resignation on Saturday evening, according to sources. The BJP Parliamentary board will be called on Sunday to approve the leadership change.

This comes after former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa had raised the banner of revolt demanding the removal of chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda. Yeddyurappa has backed the candidature of his loyalist Jagadish Shettar for the Chief Ministership.

Yeddyurappa was forced to step down as the Chief Minister in August, 2011. Thereafter, he made many attempts to get Gowda removed from the Chief Minister’s post claiming the support of many MLAs.

Sadananda Gowda had hinted on Wednesday that his exit might be imminent, even as he sought to highlight the achievements of his 11-month rule.

The Sadananda Gowda government had plunged into a crisis last week after a fresh bout of rebellion erupted with nine ministers from the Yeddyurappa camp submitting their resignations which they, however, withdrew after the central leadership stepped in.

Members of the Yeddyurappa faction, including CM Udasi, Murugesh Nirani and Basavaraja Bommai, who had been vigorously pushing for the candidature of Jagadish Shettar to replace Gowda returned from New Delhi and held consultations with Yeddyurappa at his residence.

Though the party had earlier indicated that the leadership change was expected to take place after the July 19 Presidential poll, the sources said this has been advanced by a few days in view of the Karnataka Assembly session commencing on July 16.

Courtesy: IBN Live