BJP declines to replace Yeddyurappa in Karnataka

NEW DELHI - Beleageured Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa got a breather Wednesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declining to replace him despite allegations of corruption and nepotism levelled against him by opposition political parties.

“After consultations with senior party leaders and state leaders, the party has decided to continue with Yeddyurappa as the chief minister of Karnataka,” party president Nitin Gadkari said in a statement released by BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar.

Yeddyurappa is facing allegations of favouring his close relatives with prime land in and around the Karnataka capital city and the opposition has been demanding his ouster.

Gadkari’s statement came following a two-hour meeting between him and Yeddyurappa late Tuesday. The chief minister, who was camping here since Monday, also held meetings with top party leaders L.K. Advani, Arun jaitley and Sushma Swaraj as well.

His supporters — party MPs from Karnataka and party leaders belonging to his Lingayat community — too met the BJP top brass and lobbied for his continuance in office.

Gadkari’s statement read: “An environment of uncertainty has been created in Karnataka during the past few days due to several allegations being made against Yeddyurappa. He has denied all these allegations and offered his response both publicly and to the party leaders.”

“The chief minister has also written to me, giving his viewpoint. With panchayat and district parishad elections round the corner, the party appeals to all its leaders and workers to work unitedly for its success.”

Gadkari also pointed out that the “state government has already constituted a commission of inquiry to look into the allegations of land allotment”.

The BJP chief said he will be looking into the allegations against Yeddyurappa.

“The chief minister has proposed that, to satisfy itself, the party should also look into the allegations or any other allegations that have been made. I shall look into the same,” Gadkari’s statement said.

Yeddyurappa announced Monday that retired Karnataka High Court judge B. Padmaraj will enquire into residential plot allotment by the Bangalore Development Authority and denotification’ of land by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and other agencies since 1995 to the present day.

Yeddyurappa, 67, is the BJP’s first-ever chief minister in south India. He has survived several political storms triggered by scam allegations against him and his cabinet colleagues. He also won two confidence votes in the state assembly recently.