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Indications are BJP bosses will ask Karnataka CM to step down on July 26, the day he marks 2 years in office.
Delhi BJP bosses could announce successor to Yediyurappa on July 26 evening; front-runner is Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai
BENGALURU:
Monday, July 26, could be a watershed day for Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa as he completes two years in the hot seat on that day, and the mounting speculation is that he will be asked by BJP bosses in Delhi to step down on that day, even as speculation has begun on who his successor will be.
Amid all the names being bandied about for the Chief Minister’s chair, sources told TheBengaluruLive that Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai may be the choice of the BJP high command to succeed Yediyurappa.
As per the current timeline, shared by sources, the BJP high command has directed Yediyurappa to tender his resignation to Governor Thawarchand Gehlot on July 26 morning after he attends a function marking his completion of two years in office.
BJP sources in Delhi also said that the party has not conveyed any name to the state as successor to Yediyurappa successor but will announce the name on July 26 evening.
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Bommai favoured
Bommai, said to be the front-runner, is a confidant of Yediyurappa, and is also close to the party high command. Moreover, Bommai belongs to the dominant Lingayat community and will be easily accepted as many pontiffs who were supporting Yediyurappa in recent days are known to have favoured Bommai as an ‘optional’ choice for the chief ministerial post.
“Yediyurappa is BJP and the BJP is nothing without him. He single-handedly brought the BJP to power in the southern state of Karnataka and he should be given time to complete his tenure. But if at all the party high command has decided to make way for his successor, then a Lingayat leader should be selected for the chief minister’s post. Many leaders, including Bommai and Arvind Bellad, who are in the party and are of a young age, can run the state successfully,” Lingayat pontiffs had opined on Wednesday.
Bommai originally hails from the JD (U), the party which was led by his father, former Chief Minister SR Bommai, and former CMs Ramakrishna Hegde and JH Patel. He later joined the BJP and became a confidant of Yediyurappa and the party high command. Bommai hails from Haveri district.
Also Read: ‘Will abide by high command directions’, Yediyurappa on future as Karnataka CM
Others in race
Other names of Lingayat leaders in the race are Arvind Bellad, son of former BJP MLA Chandrakant Bellad and an entrepreneur, and another leader cum businessman, Murugesh Nirani. Sources have ruled out Nirani as a successor of Yediyurappa even as the party high command is yet to finalize the name of the next CM.
Sources also said that the names of BJP national general secretary CT Ravi (a Vokkaliga) and Union Minister Prahallad Joshi (a Brahmin) are being mentioned.
‘Loyal soldier’ Yediyurappa
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the 78-year old Lingayat strongman said that the party high command will give him directions on July 25 about his future as Chief Minister of Karnataka and he will abide by the orders received by him.
Earlier in the day, Bommai declined comment on Yediyurappa’s statement about ‘abiding’ by a possible July 25 decision of the party high command. He said the party high command would decide in the matter and convey its message to the state party functionaries.
As per sources, around 120 of of Karnataka’s 224 MLA constituencies are dominated by the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community. More than 60 legislators are currently elected from this community, of whom as many as 38 are from the BJP.
Under these circumstances, the BJP bosses cannot take any chances by appointing a leader from the Vokkaliga or Brahmin communities, considering that assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled for 2023.
The party high command will be taking all these points into consideration before selecting a successor to Yediyurappa.
Also Read: Karnataka BJP in charge Arun Singh ducks questions on leadership change
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