Bangalore:
BS Yeddyurappa's day began early. A visit to the Tumkur Mutt and then to a Bangalore temple. He turns 69 today, meets his supporters, hosts a birthday bash this evening and had reportedly been set for a big political announcement till his party president Nitin Gadkari took the wind out of his sails by making clear that there would be no change of guard in BJP-ruled Karnataka.
Mr Yeddyurappa's first public words today, "People are saying I want to come back as CM. I have no such intention."
Monday, thus, is likely to see a far more toned down birthday than Friday had promised. That day, Mr Yeddyurappa had reportedly given an ultimatum to Mr Gadkari, who was in Bangalore for a party strategy meet, that he be reinstated as chief minister or be given a senior post in the party by today, February 27. He prefaced that reported ultimatum with a show of strength on Thursday - more than 50 MLAs and ministers turned for a meeting at his residence. It was an apparent bid to show the party leadership that the former Karnataka chief minister still commanded the loyalty of many partymen.
The BJP leadership seemed to take note. The two-day
chintan baithak called to discuss next steps for a party hit by multiple scams and a porn scandal, was cut short with the second day cancelled ostensibly to allow state leaders to campaign for a by-election in March. But there were whispers that Mr Yeddyurappa's early morning meeting on Friday with Mr Gadkari had resulted in the meet being curtailed. The Karnataka strongman's best-laid plans, however, soon came to naught when Mr Gadkari said, "there is no thought on leadership change in Karnataka...Sadananda Gowda will continue as CM."
Mr Yeddyurappa was the chief minister of Karnataka till September last year, when he was forced to resign after a Lokayukta report indicted him on illegal mining in the state. Then, he was jailed in October after being arrested in two different cases that involved him allegedly using his office as chief minister to make prime property available to his children and their spouses at phenomenal bargains. He was released from Bangalore's Central Prison after 25 days.
He reportedly told his party chief last week that he had gone to jail for 25 days for "no fault of mine" and also reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with current Chief Minister, DV Sadananda Gowda, the man Mr Yeddyurappa had insisted on handpicking for the post of CM when he was forced to quit. As he reluctantly resigned last year, Mr Yeddyurappa declared that he would be back soon, and is always said to have seen Mr Gowda's as a holding act till he is back - something that he reiterated today. Without mincing words, Mr Yeddyurappa said, "Nitin Gadkari has assured me that Sadananda Gowda was a temporary CM, told me that I would be reinstated, did not happen...will never bow in front of anyone...still have the blessings of Karnataka people."
But Mr Gadkari has reportedly told Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient. In public, he acknowledged Mr Yeddyurappa as a strong and popular leader of the BJP, but has said that Mr Yeddyurappa will need to get a clean chit from the courts before he can be back in the reckoning for the top slot. In a recent interview to NDTV, Mr Gadkari had said that while he was open to the idea of Mr Yeddyurappa making a comeback, it would only happen if a "competent court" cleared the former CM on corruption charges against him.
The BJP cannot totally ignore Mr Yeddyurappa either; he is a powerful Lingayat leader and has spent the last few months and weeks consolidating support among state party leaders. In his bid to reclaim what he sees as rightfully his, he has also made up with rival Jagdish Shettar, the rural development and Panchayat Minister, who is also a strong Lingayat leader. So Mr Gadkari has called a meeting in New Delhi on March 3 to address what he called "small issues." All senior Karnataka BJP leaders have been invited. Mr Yeddyurappa has said for now that he will not go to Delhi for that meeting.
Today, the former CM will attend a function orgainsed by the Backward Class Forum to felicitate him. Though there is no formal lunch party, many partymen loyal to him are expected to visit him for lunch as they have done for many years now. And in the evening, Mr Yeddyurappa will host dinner for his friends and the media.
There is a press conference slotted in the evening too. There has been much speculation that Mr Yeddyurappa might quit the BJP if he is not brought back from the cold. But for now, most people expect him to await the outcome of the Delhi meeting this Saturday. Mr Yeddyurappa has overtly stated that he is a loyal soldier of the party and will not quit it. But at his meeting with MLAs last week, he is reported to have exhorted his supporters to exert pressure on the party leadership to make him chief minister again.