Karnataka: BS Yediyurappa made a sudden visit to Delhi earlier this month where he met PM Modi.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa kept people guessing on Sunday about his political future after dropping more than one hint that his hold on power was no longer guaranteed amid speculation about his replacement. He may resign on Monday, when he completes two years as Chief Minister, sources in the BJP have said.
"Nothing has come till now... In the morning there is a programme to mark two years of government. I will speak about the achievements in those two years. After that, you will know the progress," he said on Sunday evening.
"I have decided that I will work till the very last minute. I already said two months ago that I was ready to resign whenever I was asked to. I will say it again - until now I have got no message from the centre. As soon as it comes, if they ask me to continue I will. If not, I will resign and work for that party," he said.
"I believe the information will come tonight or tomorrow morning," Mr Yediyurappa added.
Earlier, he had said that he expects to receive a message from the BJP leadership soon. "If the message comes by evening, I will let you know immediately," the Chief Minister said when asked about the matter. Some leaders close to the Chief Minister are camping in Delhi to try to buy time for Mr Yediyurappa, but he is unlikely to get more time from the leadership, sources have said.
The 78-year-old made a sudden visit to Delhi earlier this month where he met the Prime Minister and other senior leaders.
Through days of speculation, the Chief Minister has said that he has not been asked to resign. On Thursday, he told reporters, "There is an event on July 26 on completion of two years of our government here. After this, I will follow whatever (BJP president) JP Nadda will decide".
There are, however, questions on whether the 78-year-old will be asked to step down as the state battles floods.
This morning, Mr Yediyurappa left Bengaluru to fly to Belagavi, one of the flood-affected districts in the state. The torrential rain over the last few days in several districts of the state has left 10 people dead and three people missing.
Thousands were evacuated after their homes were flooded. Dams in the northern region, including the Almatti Dam, released water as river levels rose.
The met department has removed the red alert that had been in place for many districts but says heavy rain will continue in some areas until the July 28.
Boats have been used by the NDRF and other disaster relief agencies to rescue stranded people.
When Mr Yediyurappa took over from the coalition government in 2019, heavy rain and floods were battering the state.
He had visited Delhi after his oath ceremony, but was sent back to the state by Union Minister Amit Shah, who told him to take care of the flood situation.
With nobody else in his cabinet for several days, Mr Yediyurappa had toured the rain hit districts to supervise relief operations as the only member of the cabinet.
This time, he has asked his ministers to remain on the ground in their districts to supervise the rescue and relief efforts.