Karnataka chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and state BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa on Wednesday urged the party central leadership to restrain former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa from creating “confusion” over his attempt to take over their respective posts.
Mr Gowda and Mr Eshwarappa told the central leaders that Mr Yeddyurappa was “unnecessarily creating confusion” among the party workers and the people of the state over the posts of chief minister and the state party chief. They objected to Mr Yeddyurappa’s statements regarding his return to power either as the chief minister or as the state party chief after he was released from jail.
Mr Gowda and Mr Eshwarappa met party chief Nitin Gadkari, senior leaders L.K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and the party’s Karnataka-in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and requested them to “clear the air” on the confusion created by Mr Yeddyurappa.
Mr Eswharappa requested the central leadership to take a decision on reinstating Mr Yeddyurappa only after the court clears him of all the corruption charges.
Earlier in the day, Mr Gowda accompanied by BJP MPs from Karnataka, submitted his resignation as Lok Sabha member from Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency to Speaker Meira Kumar.
Sources in the party said Mr Gowda and Mr Eshwarappa did not succeed in their discussions with the BJP top brass on the much-delayed Cabinet expansion of the Karnataka government. The party leadership refused to take a final decision in this regard as it does not want to invite trouble at this point of time from different lobbies, which have set eyes on the seven vacant seats in the state cabinet.