Even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command denies there is any likely change in leadership in Karnataka, several ministers have come out and claimed stake to the top-post in the Karnataka government.
Despite, BJP Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh clarifying that Yediyurappa will continue as the CM till the completion of term, Karnataka minister Umesh Katti has said that he can take up the CM’s post. This comes after Sadananda Gowda had already come out saying he’s fit for the post.
Gowda, after being recently dropped from the Union Cabinet, was welcomed in the state capital at the airport by a large number of supporters. During the welcome, slogans were also raised that Gowda will be the next CM of Karnataka.
During Gowda’s term as BJP state president, the party had come to power in Karnataka in 2008. Yediyurappa was made the BJP’s first CM then in the southern state.
Resentment had grown against Yediyurappa and the BJP central leadership had sent national general secretary in charge of the state, Arun Singh, to Karnataka to speak with the dissenting leaders.
BJP MLC AH Vishwanath had then claimed that there was corruption in the running of the government and the CM’s son Vijayendra was involved in the running of all state departments. If Yediyurappa continued as CM, the party shall neither survive in the state nor come back to power, he had claimed.
Yediyurappa himself had said that if he would continue as long as the central leadership would like him to. Later, Arun Singh had expressed confidence in the governance by Yediyurappa and said that he is fully able to perform his duties as the state chief minister and take all the ministers along.