A day after receiving full backing from the party’s top brass, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said BJP’s central leadership is coming out with a “new formula” to end the week-long crisis following dissidents’ demand for his removal.
Continuing his conciliatory tone, Yeddyurappa recalled the contribution of ministers Karunakara Reddy and Janardhana Reddy, the two brothers who have been spearheading the campaign for a change of guard, during government formation in May last year when BJP fell short of a simple majority and independents were roped in to back to BJP dispensation.
“Today with all humility, I want to tell you something... It’s true that in some bad moment, some political confusion had taken place. When we were forming the government, we needed the cooperation of Reddy brothers and they gave the cooperation,” he told reporters in Bellary, the home district of the Reddy brothers.
“Thereafter because of some misunderstanding, there is some confusion. The party’s central leadership is correcting this and they have spoken to them (Reddy brothers) yesterday. The problem is being resolved with (senior party leader) H N Ananath Kumar in the lead,” he said.
At a meeting with the rebel leaders in Delhi yesterday, the central leadership decided to rally behind Yeddyurappa, credited with bringing the saffron party to power for the first time in the south, though the decision failed to satisfy the dissidents who remained firm on his ouster.
“Perhaps today, we are trying to resolve the issue by coming out with a new formula,” he added but did not elaborate the issues to be discussed.
Yeddyurappa sought to blame Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar for the ongoing crisis gripping his government in the wake of demands for his removal. Yeddyurappa said the decision to make Shettar, a prominent leader from north Karnataka, the Speaker was taken by the party leadership during government formation last year.
“Now, it’s not me who can make him minister. I am just a pretence. Our high command would make him minister. The decision is taken by the party central leadership. We will make him minister,” he told reporters in Bellary. “For this reason (for becoming minister), there was no need to create confusion to such an extent,” he added.
Shettar, who is being propped up by rebels as a choice to replace Yeddyurappa, reluctantly became the Speaker last year after the party central leadership insisted that he take up the post.
Cabinet meeting
The chief minister has convened a meeting of his cabinet on November 6 even as the crisis triggered by rebels seeking his ouster showed no signs of abatement.
Yeddyurappa’s decision to convene the meeting came a day after the BJP central leadership signalled his continuance as the chief minister.
BJP president Rajnath Singh had yesterday responded positively to a question whether the embattled chief minister would continue in his post, saying “definitely, definitely.”
The rebel legislators led by tourism minister Janardhana Reddy, and his brother revenue minister Karunakara Reddy are up in arms against the chief minister protesting his style of functioning and continued to gun for him.
