‘Will do as high command says’

There was no official word on the fate of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa from the BJP brass as another suspense-filled day rolled by on Tuesday, with the party choosing to hold further consultations and reserving judgement. cartoon

There was no official word on the fate of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa from the BJP brass as another suspense-filled day rolled by on Tuesday, with the party choosing to hold further consultations and reserving judgement.

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BJP president Nitin Gadkari and senior central leaders M. Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley met Yeddyurappa here on Tuesday, and he placed his arguments before them.

A BJP leader said the view in the party seemed to be gradually veering round to Yeddyurappa’s continuation.

“I have worked hard to build the party. There is no question of not obeying the party’s decision,” Yeddyurappa said. He denied any wrongdoing and claimed the support of MLAs.

Naidu said the party would take a considered view.

The three central leaders are reported to have met party patriarch L.K. Advani later. At night, Gadkari, Jaitley and Bal Apte met at the latter’s residence for further discussions.

Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar — known Yeddyurappa baiters — have been opposing his continuation, saying it would harm the party’s campaign against UPA corruption.

Yeddyurappa’s strategy in Delhi has been to push the point that he is the tallest Lingayat leader of the state. The Lingayats, a numerically powerful caste, have been supporting the BJP but are likely to ditch the party if it dumps Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa landed here on Monday after securing the support of Lingayat leaders, and met 17 MPs before meeting Jaitley that night, sending a signal that the party would damage itself if it sacked him.