Karnataka: It’s Gowda vs Shettar for CM’s post

Agencies

Bangalore, 02 August 2011: Unable to reach a consensus, senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh will leave for Bangalore on Tuesday evening to decide on the new chief minister of Karnataka. The Karnataka BJP legislative party is likely to meet on Wednesday, even as the party is still striving to reach a consensus on the next chief minister candidate.

 

Ousted chief minister Yeddyurappa continues to insist on Sadananda Gowda as his successor but the BJP high command is pitching for Jagdish Shettar. The anti-Yeddyurappa camp has join hands to back Jagdish Shettar as the chief minister candidate.

 

"We have decided we will all support Shettar. Anyone can change at the last minute. The final decision will be taken by the legislature party," said R Ashok.

 

Karnataka Law and Justice Minister Suresh Kumar is now also in the fray. He is being seen as the compromise candidate between the two sides.

 

"We have only two persons Shettar and Gowda. BJP is like a family, it is a custom we have, at any moment we will have a dialogue and solve problems," said SA Ramdas.

 

In an interesting development on Monday, those going with Yeddyurappa’s choice of Sadananda Gowda were whisked away to a hotel and kept under close supervision. Those opting for Jagadish Shettar were also booked into another city hotel. The Yeddyurappa camp was planning to shift its MLAs to a resort, to keep at bay possible horse-trading.

 

Meanwhile, reacting to reports that Yeddyurappa smashed Venkaiah Naidu’s laptop and slapped a minister, Naidu said that no such incident took place.

 

"I am surprised to see the story carried by an English daily that Yeddyurappa has broken my laptop. This is totally baseless and false. No such incident took place as I never even carry a laptop," Naidu said.

 

Yeddyurappa submitted his resignation to the Governor on Sunday after pressure from the BJP following his indictment in the Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining. However, he remains to be the caretaker Chief Minister till the next chief minister is appointed.

 

"I have done my job. The government will be formed according to the constitutional process," said Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj.

 

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Yeddyurappa said that the next chief minister will be elected unanimously.

 

"I don’t want to become the super chief minister. Our national leadership has faith in us," he said.