Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa will set out in a modified Toyota Fortuner on a state tour next week to test his political fortunes and to assess if the series of scams he is embroiled in, have hit his image hard. He made the decision soon after the Karnataka high court relaxed his bail conditions in the mining scam case being probed by the CBI on Tuesday.
The former CM had been waiting for the HC judgement for quite some time and now that he can cross the limits of Bengaluru, BSY and his loyalists have got down to the task of drawing up the tour itinerary. His next political move—whether or not he should say goodbye to the BJP and float his own outfit—will depend on the response he gets on the way, said sources. BSY has been sulking on the sidelines in the past one year, relegating himself to the back benches of the Karnataka Assembly and making know his ire against the party top brass for denying him the post of party state chief.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mr Yeddyurappa said: “My tour will begin in 3-4 days. I have called a meeting with MLAs and ministers at my residence on August 17 to chalk out the itinerary. Probably, I will start the tour on the same day”. “I have not decided from where I should start the tour, but it will be a short one with a break of a day or two in between”, he said.
Soon after his return to his son’s flat near Shivanada Circle after getting treated for fever and uneasiness at a private hospital, a relieved BSY got busy calling up his loyalists asking them to accompany him on the tour. The focus this time will be on the drought affected areas where the BJP leader will interact with people. Legislators planning to go on foreign tours may face a tongue lashing from the ex-CM who had made known his opposition to such tours while addressing the recent session.