BJP National General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan said in Bangalore on Thursday that the legislative party meeting convened on Friday will take a unanimous decision on the leadership in the state. State Party President K S Eeswarappa said a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to participate in Friday’s meeting. BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Arun Jailtely are reaching Bangalore Friday morning to implement the Parliamentary Board decision of the party.
The BJP Parliamentary Board had earlier asked Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa to step down immediately. Party spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said that all senior leaders of the party have unanimously decided that the leadership of the Karnataka BJP legislature party should be changed.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Opposition in Karnataka and Congress party leader Siddaramaiah has requested the Governor to initiate action against Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and all others named in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. He said the case should be handed over to the CBI. Speaking to media persons in Bangalore, he said the Lokayukta report has named four ministers and 787 officials responsible for illegal mining in the state and hence the BJP government in the state has no moral right to continue.
After the Party Parliamentary Board decision to drop Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka, speculation is rife about his successor. Several names are being taken but officially no successor of Yeddyurappa is announced. The Reddy brothers and their close associate Sriramulu who are mine owners and powerful ministers are implicated by Lokayukta. They have said that they will abide by party decision. The first chief minister of the BJP in south India B S Yeddyurappa took reign of the State Government in May 2008. Another 22 months still remain, as the term of the current state legislative assembly will last till May 2013.
