With chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa facing the biggest challenge of the three years he has been in office following his indictment in the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining, the stage is set for fresh turmoil in the ruling BJP.
Rumours are already doing the rounds that a change of leadership would be effected once Justice Santosh Hegde formally submits his report to the chief secretary. A change in the ministry’s composition is also likely with as many as four ministers — Janardhan Reddy, Karunakar Reddy, B. Sriramulu and V. Somanna — being named in the report.
Sources in the BJP said the party central leadership will have no option but to take a call on changing the chief minister with Mr Yeddyurappa’s name figuring in the report of a statutory constitutional body like the Lokayukta.
As in the past, BJP national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar is set to make an all-out effort to oust Mr Yeddyurappa and replace him .
Party leaders know that the consequences of remaining mum on the report’s findings, would be disastrous for the BJP.