It’s the end of the road for four-time Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. BSY, as he is popularly known, resigned on Monday after “negotiating” his exit with the BJP central leadership. The party is yet to take a decision on naming a successor to the 78-year-old “Lingayat” strongman.
BSY, who submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Raj Bhavan, will continue as caretaker Chief Minister. Karnataka BJP Legislative Party will meet soon to “elect” a new leader.
The BJP is pushing younger leadership across other States, but the choice for the successor in Karnataka would also be influenced by the consideration of 2023 State Assembly polls, sources said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi engaged in discussion in the Parliament house soon after Yediyurappa submitted his letter of resignation to the Governor.
BJP General Secretary and Karnataka-in-charge Arun Singh and Union HRD Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are expected to reach the State Capital as central observers to oversee the election of a new leader.
Ending days of speculation over his departure, Yediyurappa announced his resignation after holding days of negotiations with beseeching right political slots for his sons BY Vijayendra, already a State BJP vice-president, and B Y Raghvendra, MP, and also a “safe passage” for himself against several pending court cases.
His lobbying with “Lingayat” seers did not find favour with the top BJP leaders who asked him to make an “honourable exit”.
“Not out of grief, but with happiness. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for allowing me to continue even after 75 years of age. I will be involved in party building activities in future,” said an emotional Yediyurappa after submitting his letter of resignation in ‘Raj Bhawan’.
“Nobody pressured me to resigna. I did it on my own so that someone else can take over as CM after the completion of two years of Government. I’ll work to bring BJP back in power in the next election. I’ve not suggested the name of my successor,” he said.
Karnataka Health and Education Minister K Sudhakar, who had moved to the BJP from the Congress in 2019 at the behest of Yediyurappa, termed his stepping out as “surprising”, stating that the latter had told him that he may receive a favourable decision from the high command by July 26.
According to sources, given significant “Lingayat” votes in 121 Karnataka constituencies of which BJP won 65, the party wanted a “dignified end” to Yediyurappa’s innings. His younger son Vijayendra was in Delhi on behalf of his father “talking” to the central leaders.
BJP apparently agreed to safeguard political interests of ‘Yediurappa family’ in a trade-off for the Chief Minister announcing his resignation on July 26.
He also asserted that he and his supporters shall give their 100 per cent to whoever will become the next Chief Minister. “We will work under whoever has been selected as the new CM by the (BJP) high command. I will give my 100 per cent and my supporters will also give their 100 per cent. There is no need to make any inference of dissatisfaction,” said Yediyurappa.
Yediyurappa claimed he had decided to resign two days back. Before submitting his resignation, the outgoing Chief Minister presented his report-card at a program at ‘Vidhana Sauda’ on the completion of his two-year at office where he said he has “worked hard” for Karnataka and BJP’s development.
Yediyurappa also claimed that once late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had offered him a central role but he had declined it, he said.
He went on to say that only the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Shah can strengthen the nation. “Only if Modi and Amit Shah are in power, the nation will be powerful. I will pray that they win, and make India’s place in the world”.
This is for the fourth-time as Chief Minister Yediyurappa could not complete his full-term.
Yediyurappa’s controversial tenure as chief minister includes- seven days during his first term in November 2007, three years and two months from May 2008, for three days in May 2018, following the assembly polls, which was his third term; and finally for exactly two years since July 26, 2019, his fourth tenure when he installed a BJP government by roping in 17 Congress and JDS