Ending three days of suspense, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Sunday sent his resignation to BJP president Nitin Gadkari and expressed his “full support” to the party.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was asked by the central leadership of the party to quit after the State Lokayukta indicted him in a mining scam, faxed the letter to Mr. Gadkari who accepted it, party sources said in New Delhi.
In the letter, the Chief Minister has given reasons for the delay in putting in his papers and cited astrological issues as the main cause, they said.
The sources said Mr. Yeddyurappa, who became Chief Minister after installing BJP’s first government in the South, will seek an appointment with Governor H.R. Bhardwaj and formally submit his resignation.
After his tense standoff with the BJP leadership, Mr. Yeddyurappa had said he would tender his resignation on Sunday after the party reportedly assured him that his views would be considered while choosing his successor.
Sixty-eight-year-old Yeddyurappa made the fresh affirmation on Saturday, falling in line with the directive of the party leadership which took a tough stand.
The BJP Parliamentary Board had on Thursday asked Mr. Yeddyurappa to resign immediately, but the Lingayat strongman mobilised his loyalist MLAs and ministers who insisted on his continuance, in a sign of defiance.
However, he issued a press statement on Saturday saying that he would step down this afternoon.
In his letter to Mr. Gadkari, Mr. Yeddyurappa vowed to “stand by the party” and expressed “full support” to it, the sources said.
Mr. Yeddyurappa’s successor is also likely to be announced on Sunday, with the names of Lok Sabha MP Sadanand Gowda, Ministers V.S. Acharya and Suresh Kumar S doing the rounds for the top post.
However, a dark horse from the Yeddyurappa camp may also emerge as a choice for the job.
Mr. Yeddyurappa has been opposing the appointment of BJP general secretary Anant Kumar and his cabinet colleague Jagdish Shattar, also from the Lingayat community, as the next chief minister.
