Bangalore/New Delhi: After his tense standoff with the BJP leadership, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday said he would tender his resignation on Sunday amid indications that he will have a say in the choice of his successor.
As 68-year-old Yeddyurappa made the fresh affirmation falling in line with the directive of the party leadership which took a tough stand, BJP’s central observers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh were locked in hectic consultations in choosing the next Chief Minister in the first state ruled by it in the South.
According to party sources, Yeddyurappa will have a say in the selection of the new chief minister but the central leadership made it clear to him that his demand that he be made the president of the state party unit is not acceptable.
The sources said the choice for chief minister is still open and negotiations were on between the central observers Jaitley, Rajnath and the Yeddyurappa camp.
Yeddyurappa has reportedly suggested some names and said as long as a choice is made from this panel he would not object. He is believed to have suggested three names.
The names doing the rounds to succeed Yeddyurappa are State BJP president KS Eshwarappa, Lok Sabha MP Sadanand Gowda, Ministers Jagadish Shettar, Shoba Karandlaje, VS Acharya and Suresh Kumar S and party national general secretary and MP Ananth Kumar.
In an effort to end the speculation on whether or not he would step down from his post, Yeddyurappa released a press statement that he would quit office on July 31.
In the signed statement that was read out to the media outside the Chief Minister’s residence by loyalist Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Yeddyurappa said he had already issued a statement on Thursday that he would tender his resignation on July 31 following the decision of the party’s parliamentary board and instruction from BJP central leaders.
But, he said, despite the statement, “even now, some media are misleading the public that I am not resigning”.
“I, hereby, again clarify that I am submitting my resignation on the afternoon of 31-7-2011”, he said.
Sources close to Yeddyurappa said he has asked Governor H R Bhardwaj for an appointment on Sunday anytime after 1 pm when the inauspicious time, as per astrological calender, gets over. He will then tender his resignation. (PTI)