Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s off and on show of strength to press for his demand of reinstating him seems to have the BJP Central leadership in a fix with the party now mulling over calling a Core Group meeting to discuss the issue.
A group of 12 BJP MPs from Karnataka today met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj to insist that Mr. Yeddyurappa is the real leader of the party in the southern state and should be made chief minister again.
The recent Bangalore High Court order stating there are no grounds for filing an FIR against Mr. Yeddyurappa in an illegal mining case is being quoted by the beleaguered leader’s supporters to press for his reinstatement.
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“I told the MPs that only that party forum which asked Yeddyurappa to step down can now decide on whether he should be reinstated. The Core Group had made this decision and it will have to meet again if this decision has to be reconsidered,” Ms. Swaraj said.
Asked when the Core Group is likely to be convened, she said it would depend on the convinience of party president Nitin Gadkari, who is presently away in Maharashtra.
Ms. Swaraj said concerns about how Mr. Yeddyurappa’s persistent demand that he be reinstated and his show of strength to build pressure on the high command is likely to be voiced and discussed in the Core Group. A section within the party is said to be impressing upon the leadership that this is damaging the party’s image.
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Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley is in touch with Mr. Yeddyurappa and is trying to resolve the crisis.
Mr. Yeddyurappa had last made the demand for his reinstatement last month and set February 27 as the deadline.
Mr. Gadkari had then visited Karnataka and asked him to give up his demand.