The BJP’s Karnataka crisis went from bad to worse on Sunday, with former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa publicly attacking the party, calling his successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda a “traitor” for refusing to vacate office after six months as promised, and stunning partymen by praising Congress president Sonia Gandhi for standing by colleagues in trouble.
The chief minister, rattled by Mr Yeddyurappa’s threat to quit the party, met BJP president Nitin Gadkari and senior leader Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Sunday.
The BJP leadership, which earlier said it was against any change, is now considering options to pacify Mr Yeddyurappa, including making his close associate Shobha Karandlaje, state energy minister, the new CM. She is learnt to have left for New Delhi to talk to Mr Gadkari. Earlier Sunday, Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar, rural development minister, had emerged as a strong contender — first for deputy CM and then CM.
There are unconfirmed reports Mr Yeddyurappa has sent his resignation to Mr Gadkari, but the BJP denied either Mr Yeddyurappa or his supporters are resigning, and said it was “an internal issue”.
Referring to Mrs Gandhi’s recent Tumkur visit, Mr Yeddyurappa said in Bengaluru: “I’ve noticed Congress leaders are united and supportive if any of their members is in trouble. BJP leaders aren’t like that. They wait for a person to get into trouble and pull him down... and seize his position.”