Bangalore:
Signed, sealed and delivered by tomorrow at 1 pm - BS Yeddyurappa's resignation is no longer a craving for the BJP.
After 48 hours employed by the Chief Minister to demonstrate his grip on the BJP in Karnataka, Mr Yeddyurappa allowed cameras to film him signing off on his resignation letter.
(Watch: Rise and fall of Yeddyurappa)Three buses of MLAs who spouted on demand cheerful cheers of loyalty to Mr Yeddyurappa then travelled from his house to Bangalore's Ashoka Hotel where they submitted a memorandum to BJP senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh demanding Mr Yeddyurappa's continuance as Chief Minister. The MLAs have also demanded that Mr Yeddyurappa should be made the state party chief if he is removed as CM. The two senior visiting BJP leaders also met the Reddy brothers - Janardana and Karunakara.
Mr Jaitley and Mr Singh have been negotiating with Mr Yeddyurappa the terms of his exit. The crisis began on July 27 when a report on illegal mining indicted Mr Yeddurappa for corruption. The BJP advised him to accept its advice to resign immediately.
(Read BS Yeddyurappa's resignation letter to Nitin Gadkari)Surrounded by MLAs who professed no other leader was acceptable to them, Mr Yeddyurappa kept the BJP hanging. He suggested he would resign on Sunday - for astrological reasons. That deadline allowed the 64-year-old to try some emergency moves aimed at saving his job. But this morning, his party told him his time was up. If he didn't resign, the BJP said, it was willing to risk the entire government being dismantled for President's Rule, if it came to that.
(Read: Justice Hegde's report on illegal mining)So Mr Yeddyurappa chose to opt out - with a few caveats. While he's unlikely to be granted his wish to be made the BJP President in Karnataka, his opinion on who should be the next Chief Minister will count significantly. He reportedly favours Sadananda Gowda, the Lok Sabha MP. His second choice is VS Acharya, the state's Higher Education Minister. Ananth Kumar - who many in the BJP's central command support - is a no-no for Mr Yeddyurappa. His band of 70 MLAs have told the BJP they want his choice to be respected.
(See Pics)Mr Yeddyurappa's clout among his Lingayat community - a powerful and large vote-bank - means that he is not about to be sidelined. Instead, he is determined to serve as a master-puppeteer, controlling his party's political actions and yanking chains when necessary.