In his relentless efforts to reinstate himself as Chief Minister, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday invited party legislators for a breakfast meeting at his Race Course residence here on Friday.
Before commencement of the session on Thursday, Mr. Yeddyurappa went around the Legislative Assembly Hall and shook hands with BJP MLAs and invited them for breakfast.
Siddalinga Swamy, a close aide of Mr. Yeddyurappa, was seen distributing invitations to ruling party MLAs asking them to participate in the breakfast meeting. Sources said Mr. Yeddyurappa has extended invitations to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and State BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa. Friday is the last day of the ongoing budget session.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who shifted legislators to a resort on March 18 in a show of strength to mount pressure on the central leadership of the party to reinstate him as Chief Minister, has been maintaining a low profile for the last few days.
‘Breakfast poitics'
After his recent meeting with senior party leaders in New Delhi, Mr. Yeddyurappa, who has been telling the media that he is not after any post or power, is now into “breakfast politics” with his supporters. On Thursday, he spent an hour in the longue of the Assembly and discussed several issues with journalists and MLAs supporting his reinstatement as Chief Minister.
The former Chief Minister, who was in a relaxed mood, discussed various issues with scribes and said “time has to come for all things. I am following a wait-and-watch policy”.
Legislators close to Mr Yeddyurappa said “it is customary for Mr. Sadananda Gowda to call for a Legislature Party meeting before the start of the session and host a tea party for them when the session concludes. Mr. Gowda has not followed the custom. Therefore, Mr. Yeddyurappa has decided to host breakfast for legislators.”
The dissident activity that rocked the ruling BJP early this month came to a halt after the intervention of party president Nitin Gadkari, who asked Mr. Yeddyurappa and his supporters to attend the budget session of the State Legislature and support the Chief Minister.
Legislators close to Mr. Yeddyurappa hoped that the party's central leadership would decide on their leader's demand for reinstatement in the first week of April. Followers of Mr. Sadananda Gowda are confident that the party would continue to back him, at a time when he is trying to refurbish the party's image which has taken a beating due to corruption charges and internal differences.
