BS Yeddyurappa in revolt mode again, praises Congress and Sonia

Bangalore: BS Yeddyurappa may have enrolled in an Art of Living course in Bangalore this week, but inner calm apparently remains evasive for the politician.

In Bangalore today, he said he will explain to BJP leaders why he skipped an important meeting held over three days on the outskirts of Delhi. "In the last 40 years, this is the first time that I did not attend the national executive meeting," he said, adding that he will elaborate on his absence in a letter to party president Nitin Gadkari.

Then he shared his reasons anyway.  "Gadkari had told me that he would appoint me state Party President in 24 hours... at the time of the appointment of Sadananda Gowda as Chief Minister... but it did not happen."

In July 2011, Mr Yeddyurappa was forced by the BJP to quit as chief minister of Karnataka after he was indicted on a report on illegal mining in the state. His pink slip came with the right to select his successor. He picked Sadananda Gowda, a non-controversial partyman, who was best known for never challenging Mr Yeddyurappa and for his broad smile. His good humour was tested severely by Mr Yeddyurappa, who decided in July this year that he would prefer to pick another candidate for the chief minister's office. His party capitulated and Jagadish Shettar, who belongs to the same Lingayat community as Mr Yeddyurappa, was made head of the government.

But he isn't content to just be the king-maker. The 69-year-old has repeatedly pushed to be given a major party position, or else. The possible consequences have been shared by him openly - he has warned he will split the BJP in Karnataka, folding its first government in the South; he has also said he could join the Congress instead, whose president Sonia Gandhi he praises often.  "At least the Congress does not let down its leaders," he said today. BJP seniors like LK Advani have made it clear that they do not support a large role for Mr Yeddyurappa, who faces an array of corruption charges, ranging from land-grabbing to illegal mining.  

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