Several dissidents may offer to resign if the CM is not ousted by the party high command
Several dissidents may offer to resign if the CM is not ousted by the party high command
Even as the fate of candidates is sealed in the ballot box after polls for the three constituencies that ended recently, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is poised to face yet another political tumult with dissidents gearing up for his ouster.
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Sidelined: State BJP President K S Eswarappa, Minister for Rural
Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar and Former Union
Minister and MP representing Bangalore (Rural) H N Anathkumar are
spearheading the dissidence against Yeddyurappa. File pic
While dissidents raised the banner of revolt against Yeddyurappa last month, in the wake of corruption charges against him, the by-polls came as respite because the party high command asked them to show restraint till polling ended.
According to sources, it seems that the dissidents cannot wait any longer to see a change of guard and are planning to revive their campaign against Yeddyurappa. Sources in the BJP said that the rebels planned to meet under the leadership of Health Minister Sriramulu -- man Friday of Tourism Minister G Janardana Reddy and bete-noir of Yeddyurappa -- at a hotel belonging to the former.
The meeting was postponed to today and will be chaired by former Higher Education Minister Aravinda Limbavali, whom Yeddyurappa unceremoniously removed from his cabinet last year. "After several rounds of revolt, this one will be decisive. It's like the final match after league matches and semifinals. We will demand for a clear result this time. Either this way or that," said a rebel MLA.
The plot
The game plan is to prepare a list of dissidents who would comprise some legislators before going to the high command, and they would offer to resign if Yeddyurappa is not removed. Although three seniors -- State BJP President K S Eswarappa, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar, and Former Union Minister and MP representing Bangalore (Rural) H N Anathkumar -- are spearheading the dissidents, the rebels are not going to push anyone as the alterative candidate for the CM post for now.
"Let them remove Yeddyurappa first and then will take up the leadership issue. The priority is to cleanse the party and dispel the corrupt image," said the source. While Nitin Gadkari, national president of the BJP, is still with Yeddyurappa, a majority of the national leaders are apparently convinced about his corruption and are for the change of guard. Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, has shown her approval for the dissidents and the patriarch is baying for Yeddyurappa's blood right from the time his name came under a cloud.
More alleged scams
As if the souring dissidence within the party is not enough for Yeddyurappa, sources in the JD(S) said that H D Kumaraswamy, former CM and state president of the party, was ready with details of fresh land scams linked to Yeddyurappa. Kumarswamy had exposed mining barons donating money to an educational trust belonging to Yeddyurappa's sons and series of land scams.
Two lawyers, who have pulled the CM to court in the cases of de-notification of land after obtaining governor's sanction to prosecute him, are rumoured to be supported by Kumarswamy's father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. "This time we are going to expose bigger scams and in one, no less than Rs 180 crore has changed hands," said a source close to Kumarswamy.
Counter strategy
However, Yeddyurappa is prepared with a counter strategy and is expected to threaten to divide the party if he is forced to quit. Playing the caste card, he would project himself as the ultimate leader of the politically dominant Lingayat community and a three-day convention of the community in Mysore next month, will serve as a forum to exhibit his strength.
"We know some elements in the party are indulging in dinner diplomacy. That does not mean that there dissidence in the party. The party high command is convinced that Yeddyurappa has not done anything wrong and there is no change of leadership on the cards," said R P Jagadish, media advisor to the CM.
Triple trouble
Rebels to prepare list of dissidents who would comprise some legislators before going to the high command, and they would offer to resign if Yeddyurappa is not removed. Lawyers, who pulled CM to court in de-notification of land are rumoured to be supported by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. H D Kumaraswamy, former CM and state president of the party, was ready with details of fresh land scams linked to Yeddyurappa, including one, in which no less than Rs 180 crore has changed hands.
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