Doing whatever it takes

Following a condition by senior party members that he had to resign in case the HC did not quash the sanction, Yeddyurappa will fight the case in the Lokayukta court, say sources

Doing whatever it takes

Following a condition by senior party members that he had to resign in case the HC did not quash the sanction, Yeddyurappa will fight the case in the Lokayukta court, say sources

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The growing anti-Yeddyurappa lobby in the BJP has forced the chief minister to drop the idea of lodging writ petition in the high court against governor's sanction to prosecute him. As per the original idea, the CM had to move the court with an interim plea to quash the sanction. Sirajin Basha and K N Balaraj, the lawyers, had got the caveat from the high court after filing two cases at the Lokayukta court on Saturday, in which Yeddyurappa is the prime accused.

I don't want to go: Yeddyurappa met senior BJP leader L K Advani in
New Delhi yesterday. File pic

'Don't need a stay'
"We will not move the high court, but fight the case in the Lokayukta court," said Yeddyurappa, after he met Arun Jaitley and L K Advani, in New Delhi yesterday. "I know I can prove my innocenceu00a0-- we don't need a stay for the trial."

But sources said Yeddyurappa arrived at this conclusion only after the high command given him the cold shoulder for an attempt at the stay. "Some senior leaders insisting on Yeddyurappa's resignation put a condition that he had to resign in case the court did not quash the sanction," said a source in the BJP. "The chief minister did not want to take chance," he added.

Yeddyurappa wanted senior counsel and former law minister Ram Jetmalani to argue for him in the court, but the latter is understood to have shown no interest.

Being adamant
While the CM is adamant and is refusing to step down, the BJP high command is apparently divided on the issue. In particular Sushma Swaraj, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is upset as she could not attack the ruling party over the corruption issue in the house with Yeddyurappa being a 'black spot' in the party, while Arun Jaitley, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and LK Advani are also of the same opinion.

Yeddyurappa, though, is sticking to his guns, and is said to have moved V S Acaharya's name as his replacement, but there were no takers. "The opposition parties are moving heaven and earth to remove me, but I will complete my term as the CM," said Yeddyurappa.

In the meantime, the Lokayukta is expected to take up the cases registered by Sirajin Basha and K N Balaraj, the lawyers prosecuted the CM after obtain the sanction, today.u00a0 While the governor has given sanction to prosecute the CM in 18 issues, the lawyers have filed two cases covering six issues, and they are expected to file another four cases today.

The court can either ask the Lokayukta police to file an FIR after an investigation, or take up the trial straight away. In both cases, the chief minister need not resign, which he is not, anyway. However, BJP insiders said there is pressure on him to quit, as it is a face loss for the party in national politics.

Chalo dilli

MPs and MLAs from the state will go as a delegation lead by L K Advani to President Pratibha Patil, to petition against the governor at 11.30 am today.

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