BJP latest: Gowda out,Shettar in Karnataka

While Gowda has been summoned to Delhi for final consultations,the process of leadership change will be done through the state unit’s legislature party meeting in Bangalore. Gowda met party veteran LK Advani,Gadkari,Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,Sushma Swaraj,and her counterpart in the Rajya Sabha,Arun Jaitley.

“I have said whatever decision the central leadership takes,I am prepared to accept. That means if they ask me to quit the post,I am prepared. If they ask me to continue,I will continue.I want to impress upon my leaders that immediate decision should be taken and whatever it may be,the administration should go on smoothly,” Gowda said after landing in Delhi,underlining the need for clarity in the government when the state is reeling under a drought.

While the party core group had earlier decided to address the crisis after the Presidential poll on July 19,it had to change its mind in the wake of the forthcoming monsoon session of the state assembly where the vote-on-account presented in March has to be approved.

To ensure a smooth transition of power in the state,the party leadership is learnt to have decided to send former party president Rajnath Singh and Jaitley as observers for the legislature party meeting,likely either on Monday or Tuesday.

While Shettar,a Lingayat leader backed by former chief minister Yeddyurappa – a Lingayat himself,is all set to replace Gowda,a Vokkaliga,sources said that issues about the appointment of deputy chief ministers and rehabilitation of Gowda have been left open,subject to the mood of party legislators at the legislature party meeting.

While the BJP would like to present the change of leadership as a smooth internal affair,the move is clearly seen as succumbing to pressure from the Lingayat faction demanding Lingayat supremacy ahead of the assembly election.

Gowda had taken over as chief minister in August last year after state Lokayukta Santosh Hegde’s report on illegal mining severely indicted Yeddyurappa.

However,Yeddyurappa,considered the party’s “tallest leader” in the state,prevailed on the party leadership then to get a person of his choice – Sadananda Gowda – as his successor. Such was his insistence that the party’s central observers had to hold a secret ballot in the legislature party meeting where Gowda won with the blessings of Yeddyurappa,while his rival Shettar lost by less than a dozen votes.

But subsequently,relations between Gowda and Yeddyurappa soured,with Yeddyurappa’s loyalists accusing Gowda of playing into the hands of the opposition Janata Dal (S),led by HD Deve Gowda. Such was the animosity that nine ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa resigned late last month and set a deadline of June 30 to replace Gowda. Yeddyurappa,this time,has been pressing for installing Shettar as chief minister.

However,the central leadership,which was busy charting the party’s strategy for the Presidential election,bought time and got the rebel ministers to withdraw their resignations by promising them a “political solution” soon.