Yeddyurappa sends resignation letter to Gadkari

PTI

New Delhi, 28 July 2011: Embattled Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa sent his resignation letter to BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Thursday. He was earlier asked to resign immediately by the BJP’s top brass after it decided for a change in leadership in the state, a day after his severe indictment by the Lokayukta in the illegal mining scam.

 

Ending the uncertainty over the fate of the 68-year-old Yeddyurappa who headed the BJP’s first government in the south after his indictment, the BJP Parliamentary Board today met and unanimously decided there should be a change in leadership in Karnataka and "advised" him to resign immediately.

 

"The BJP Parliamentary Board unanimously decided there has to be a change in the leadership of the BJP legislature party in the state of Karnataka. Accordingly, it has advised Yeddyurappa, the present chief minister, to tender his resignation immediately," BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad told reporters after a meeting of the board at the residence of the president Nitin Gadkari.

 

The Board, the party’s highest decision making body, also decided to send senior leaders Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley as observers to Bangalore tomorrow to oversee the election of Yeddyurappa’s successor. Yeddyurappa assumed office in May 2008.

 

"Tomorrow, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh will go to Bangalore for the election of the new leader of the BJP legislature party," Prasad said. The meeting was attended among others by L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu.

 

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharam said the Board’s decision has been conveyed to Yeddyurappa and discounted suggestions of a possible rebellion in the Karnataka unit of the party. Yeddyurappa has already informed Gadkari that he would abide by whatever decision taken by the party leadership, she said.

 

In Bangalore, some Ministers and MLAs have gathered at the Race Course residence of Yeddyurappa who returned to Bangalore this morning after parleys with the BJP leadership in New Delhi which went on till 2 AM.

 

Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde in his voluminous report submitted to the state government yesterday strongly indicted Yeddyurappa over payment of about Rs 30 crore kickbacks by a mining firm to his family trust and recommended his prosecution under the anti-corruption law.

 

Yeddyurappa, who continued to be defiant and ruled out his resignation, left for Bangalore early this morning. He has convened a meeting of party MLAs this in the Karnataka capital. He also met Nitin Gadkari late last night.

 

Upon his arrival here last evening with his ministers and close confidants, Yeddyurappa appeared defiant and said he has not been asked to resign. In the meeting with the party president and senior central party leaders Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Dharmendra Pradhan, the political fallout of the Lokayukta report was discussed with Yeddyurappa.

 

The Chief Minister tried to convince the central leadership that the charges made in the report were not new and a court case was already pending in the matter. However, the central leadership conveyed to him that his continuance would weaken BJP’s fight against corruption, especially when the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins next week.

 

Ahead of the start of the meeting, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, "We have heard the Karnataka chief minister, we have heard the advocate general’s views and seen the report and we will take a decision now".

 

Asked as to what transpired at yesterday’s meeting at Gadkari’s residence, Former Karnataka BJP president and Udipi MP D V Sadananda Gowda said Yeddyurappa explained his views on the situation arising out of the Lokatyukta report. He said other senior party leaders also submitted their reports on the current political situation in the state.

 

On Yeddyurappa convening a meeting of his party supporters, Gowda said, "It is Yeddyurappa who built the party in Karnataka and has taken the party leadership there and given good governance. I don’t think he will do anything that will damage the party".

 

"We will abide by the decision of the party board," he said. Asked if he was in the race for the post of Chief Minister, he said, "At this stage, I don’t think there is any change of leadership".