Keep me or drop me, but clear the air: DVS

Keep me or drop me, but clear the air: DVS

Mangaloretoday/ DHNS

NEW DELHI, Mar 22, 2012: Leaders still divided over BSY position. As the top BJP leadership continues to dither over B S Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday took a decisive stand, appealing to party’s senior leaders to end the political uncertainty that is adversely affecting governance and the state unit of the party.

During happier times. file photo“Please take a firm decision: either continue with me as chief minister or replace me with Yeddyurappa. There is need to end this uncertainty,” Gowda is said to have told all the senior leaders whom he met during his less than 24-hour sojourn here during when he called on BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, party veteran L K Advani and other leaders, including Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

 

 

As the warring factions of the Karnataka BJP put in their defence before the leadership, they were told to bury their differences and allow smooth functioning of the current legislature session. The national leadership may send an observer to the state once the session concludes.

As a solution continued to evade the party, Yeddyurappa submitted a letter to Gadkari signed by 67 MLAs supporting his demand to be reinstated as chief minister but was asked to be patient for some more time.

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

One of the main reasons for the party’s failure to take a quick decision on the Karnataka imbroglio is the division within the leadership over reinstating Yeddyurappa. While Gadkari and Jaitley are said to be backing him, party sources told Deccan Herald that Advani, Rajnath Singh and M M Joshi were opposed to such a move. Though Yeddyurappa met Advani, the veteran BJP leader did not give any assurance to him and told him to instead discuss with Gadkari and sort out the issue.

Advani is said to have reposed full faith in Gowda when the chief minister met him Thursday morning.

Significantly, while Gowda unilaterally announced to the media that he has been assured by the party central leadership that there will be no change of leadership “at present” in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa, accompanied by party Karnataka in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, said : “I am happy with the outcome of the meeting...I am confident that the president and the party will take the right decision in the interest of the BJP and the people of Karnataka.”

Though most of the leaders have backed Gowda and reposed faith in his leadership, Gadkari did not give any assurance on the count. Sources said Jaitley, during his meeting with Gowda, pointed out that Yeddyurappa had the support of a majority of MLA and questioned him about the defeat of the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in the by-poll.

Yeddyurappa, who met Gadkari along with State ministers Jagadesh Shettar and Umesh Katti and Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar Kore claimed that if the party had to win the next Assembly polls he should be brought back as the chief minister.

Pointing out that the party had promised to make him chief minister if he got a legal relief, Yeddyurappa said that this should be decided immediately. Urging Gadkari not to drag the issue further, he said an early decision would benefit the party during the election year.