An emotional B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday highlighted his instrumental role in the growth of the BJP in Karnataka, before he hung up his boots as the Chief Minister, and described his tenure as “trial by fire”
The new Chief Minister of Karnataka will be from the Lingayat community and will be made with the consent of Yediyurappa. The BJP central leadership has asked him to give consent out of three names. The name of the new Chief Minister of Karnataka is likely to be announced in the next few hours. Basavaraj Bommai, Arvind, Murugan Nirani are considered to be at the forefront of the CM race. All three leaders are from the Lingayat community.
Interestingly, the 78-yearold leader used the event organised to mark his government’s two years in office at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here, as the platform to announce his resignation, while maintaining that he will continue to work for the party and the people. “Don’t take me otherwise, with your permission…I have decided that I will go to the Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation as the Chief Minister to the Governor,” he had said at the end of his over 20-minute speech, with a choked voice, as he repeatedly turned emotional.
“Not out of grief, but with happiness,” he said, as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home mInister Amit Shah and BJP National President Amit Shah for giving him an opportunity to serve as Chief Minister for two years, despite completing 75-years of age. There is an unwritten rule in the BJP of keeping out those above 75 years from elected offices.
the Raj Bhavan, which was accepted. Recalling the circumstances under which BJP came to power with him as the CM, Yediyurappa said, he will strive to bring the party back to power, either with or without any position, by getting 125-130 seats during the 2023 polls, in the 225-member Assembly.
Describing his term as “trial by fire”, he said, “When I took charge (as CM 2 years ago), I was not allowed to form the cabinet by the Centre (by the BJP central leadership), there was drought and then there was flooding and I had to travel everywhere alone, later the cabinet was formed, and then in the last one-and-half years, there is Covid. Despite facing repeated trial by fire with cooperation from everyone, I have worked efficiently for the welfare of the state and brought in a change… I have put in efforts beyond my limits for this.”
Thanking the BJP’s central leadership, Yediyurappa in what is also being seen as his “farewell speech” said, no one was given the opportunity to hold any position after crossing 75-years of age, but he was allowed to become CM for two years, despite crossing that age bar. “My prayer to God is only that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah should win and come back to power to serve the country and make India strong, this is the opinion of the people too,” he said.
Meanwhile, amidst the high-voltage drama in Karnataka, a long meeting was held at the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at MP Bhawan in Delhi to discuss the name of the new Chief Minister after Yediyurappa announced his resignation. This meeting took place between Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda and general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Arun Singh. In the meeting, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was also called twice in the middle and he was asked his opinion on the name of the new CM. In between, National General Secretary C.T. Ravi was also called in the meeting and his opinion was also asked.
According to a senior BJP leader, satisfaction was expressed in the meeting that Yeddyurappa has finally resigned accepting the party’s request, so the BJP will also decide the name of the new CM of Karnataka with the consent of Yeddyurappa.
A senior BJP leader said in an informal conversation that the decision of the new Chief Minister will finally be taken only in the Karnataka BJP Legislature Party meeting. A meeting of the BJP Legislature Party will be called in Bengaluru in which the name of the new Chief Minister will be announced. From Delhi, BJP will appoint two central observers who will choose the name of the new leader after taking the opinion of the MLAs in Bengaluru. Yediyurappa will propose the name of the new leader in the BJP Legislature Party meeting in Bengaluru. One of central observers will be BJP’s national general secretary Arun Singh and a senior Union minister will be there.
The BJP leader said in the conversation that BJP is in constant touch with Yeddyurappa, and that the name of the new CM will be decided only with the consent of Yeddyurappa. The source said that Yediyurappa wants his younger son Vijendra to be made a minister in the Karnataka government; one of his sons Rajendra is already an MP and Shobha Karandlaje was also made a minister in the Modi government from Yeddyurappa’s quota.
