Bangalore/Mumbai:
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa will arrive in Mumbai this morning to attend the second day of the BJP's national executive meet. The Karnataka strongman, who is unhappy over the "failure" of his party leadership to reinstate him as the Chief Minister, had initially decided to boycott the meeting. He said he has to appear in a court in Bangalore today for one of the cases of graft he is fighting. But then, just like Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Yeddyurappa too changed his plans.
"I have great respect for Nitin Gadkariji. He has invited me," Mr Yeddyurappa told reporters as left Bangalore for Mumbai at around 7:30 am. He is also scheduled to make a court appearance in Bangalore today.
Mr Yeddyurappa was made by the BJP to quit as chief minister last year after he was indicted in a report on illegal mining. He was till recently demanding that he be brought back as chief minister. But after the BJP made it clear that he cannot head its only government in the South, Mr Yeddyurappa altered his wish-list slightly to ask that the chief minister be picked from his community, the Lingayatas, a powerful vote-bank. The man Mr Yeddyurappa wants to retire from the chief minister's office is Sadananda Gowda, who he had personally selected as his successor last year. The BJP has so far refused to consider firing Sadananda Gowda as chief minister.
Mr Yeddyurappa has also warned the BJP several times recently that he is on the verge of quitting the party. He has so many supporters that if he goes through with his threat, the BJP government could fall.
MODI IN MUMBAI FOR BJP MEET
The Gujarat Chief minister arrived in Mumbai to attend his party's national executive yesterday, but after much back and forth. Mr Modi, who was in Udaipur, had orchestrated a trip to Rajasthan as a form of boycott. He was upset that his old rival, Sanjay Joshi, would be present at the Mumbai meet. He changed his decision after Mr Joshi resigned as a member of the national executive on Thursday morning, paving the way for Mr Modi's arrival.
"I welcome him...he has told me he will stand with us shoulder-to-shoulder and work for the party," said BJP president Nitin Gadkari about Mr Modi's new itinerary. Mr Gadkari added that Mr Joshi's resignation was "a large-hearted gesture". But in reality, the move proves that Mr Gadkari remains at odds with other senior BJP leaders, though he is staunchly supported by the party's parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), which reportedly stepped in to end the Modi-Gadkari tussle.
In the resignation letter that Mr Joshi sent to Mr Gadkari, he reportedly said he does not want to be the reason for dissent or division in the party. Sources however say Mr Joshi was asked to quit after pressure from the BJP's Gujarat unit, who had said they would follow Mr Modi's lead and skip the meeting.
Mr Modi has already skipped a party meet in November, sulking about Mr Joshi's presence and also did not campaign for the party in the crucial UP elections earlier this year because Mr Joshi was given an important charge there.
The resignation of Mr Joshi, an old RSS hand, is being seen in political circles as a big setback for Mr Gadkari. Mr Joshi was re-inducted into the party by Mr Gadkari only a few months ago after being in political exile for six years over a seedy CD scandal.