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BJP to choose Yeddyurappa successor on Friday
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will on Friday select a successor to Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa though till late Thursday he had not obeyed the party directive to step down immediately.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will on Friday select a successor to Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa though till late Thursday he had not obeyed the party directive to step down immediately.
The 68-year-old Yeddyurappa was told on Thursday morning to resign immediately following Lokayukta N Sanosh Hegde seeking his trial for graft in the huge illegal mining scam that has caused a loss of over Rs 16,000 crore to the state.
However, there was no indication from Yeddyurappa when he will quit as he kept himself busy meeting supporters through the day to firm up, as his loyalists said, conditions on which he will leave the office.
The loyalists, requesting anonymity, said the chief minister wants to name a successor and have a major say in cabinet formation after he quits.
Thursday evening word spread that Yeddyurappa has sent his resignation to party president Nitin Gadkari but within minutes it was denied by ministers close to the chief minister.
The BJP camp was hub of activity with party in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan meeting groups of legislators to know their views ahead of a formal meeting of the state legislature party Friday to elect the new leader.
Former party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader Arun Jaitley will be the central party leadership observers for the meeting and will arrive on Friday.
