Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is likely to ensure a smooth transition of power on Friday bowing to the decision of the BJP Parliamentary Board, which has asked him to resign in the wake of his indictment by Lokayukta in his final report on illegal iron ore mining and exports in the state.
Grim faced Mr Yeddyurappa, who returned this morning from Delhi after a night long confabulations with the central leadership, was soon huddled with his supporters to weigh the pros and cons.
But though no official word has come yet from him, sources indicated that he had reconciled to fate and is likely to meet Governor H R Bhardwaj and tender his resignation.
Other state BJP leaders like member of Parliament Sadananda Gowda, BJP State President K S Eshwarappa, Minister Jagadish Shettar, all front runners for the Chief Minister’s post, arrived along with party observer Dharmendra Pradhan in the city later.
Leaders Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitely will be arriving in the city on Friday, party sources said.
Earlier in the day, the BJP Parliamentary Board met in Delhi and Party Leader Ravishankar Prasad emerged from the two-hour meeting to announce that the party had decided to bring in a ”change in the leadership” in Karnataka and ”recommended” Mr Yeddyurappa to resign.
Eshwarappa said on his arrival in the city that the Parliamentary Board’s decision will be final and he was confident that Yeddyurappa will bow to the party decision.
”The next Chief Minister is yet to be decided. The selection of the successor will not be a problem. The legislature party of the BJP will sit together today and decide on it unanimously,” he said.
Mr Eshwarappa, however, denied Mr Yeddyurappa would scuttle his chances.
”Mr Yeddyurappa has supported me all along these years. He is mainly responsible for my growth in the party,” he said.
In a related development, the Reddy Brothers, the powerful Ministers from mineral-rich Bellary, who have also been indicted in the Lokayukta report, held a separate meeting at G Janardhana Reddy’s residence.
His brother G Karunakara Reddy, aide B Sriramulu and party legislators from Bellary attended the meeting.
After the meeting, Mr Sriramulu left for the Chief Minister’s residence to hold a meeting.
Meanwhile, Basavaraj Bommai, a close confidant of Mr Yeddyurappa, also left for Mr Reddy’s house to hold discussions.
Despite the supporters milling around, the mood was sombre at the Chief Minister’s official residence.
A number of MLAs, who stood behind Mr Yeddyurappa, arrived at the scene soon after his arrival from Delhi.
Main opposition Congress on Thursday termed the BJP central leadership’s decision as ‘very, very late’ but welcomed it.
But KPCC president G Parameshwara said the party will not rest until the but entire Cabinet is sacked as the government had committed serious lapses.
”The decision came ‘very, very late’ but the BJP leadership has taken the right decision after the Chief Minister was indicted by the report. (PTI)