Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa ignores Delhi, seeks divine solace at Puttaparthi

BANGALORE - Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has ignored summons to reach Delhi on Monday morning as directed by his party top brass and left for Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh to “seek the blessings” of Sri Satya Sai Baba.

“I didn’t have to go to Delhi, our leaders have gone to speak to the party High Command. I believe even top leaders are satisfied. Will see what the senior leaders say,” Yeddyurappa said before he left for Puttaparthi from Bangalore.

“I am more or less satisfied with the developments. With God’s blessings, support of state and national leaders, we need to continue our work in Karnataka,” he added.

Yeddyurappa has rushed a team of his loyalists, including Acharya and Home Minister R Ashok, to Delhi apparently to persuade the BJP top brass against a change in leadership.

Shortly after his arrival, Acharya, who is Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister, told reporters, “We want Yeddyurappa to continue. There is no alternative to him. The BJP high command has not taken any decision”.

The party’s core group, which met in Delhi on Sunday, had authorised BJP president Nitin Gadkari to take a decision on Karnataka.

On Sunday, Yeddyurappa ruled out the possibility of resigning from office over the land scam issue, asserting that he had done nothing wrong.

“Why should I (resign)? There is no offence from my side. I have not committed any mistake,” he told reporters here.

Earlier, Gadkari met senior party leaders, including L.K. Advani to discuss ways to solve the Karnataka crisis.

Talking to reporters, Gadkari said: “The senior leaders had authorised me to take a decision on Karnataka. I will talk to Yeddyurappa again before taking a decision.

The emergency BJP Core group meeting comes in the wake of a new expose by former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy.

Hurling a fresh charge against Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy alleged that the latter’s family had sold Rs 20 crore worth of land and raised doubts about its ownership.

He also expressed doubts on whether the land sold by Yeddyurappa’s kin was owned by them or was it denotified in their favour. He sought clarifications from them.

“Is the land their hereditary property? Let them prove it”, Kumaraswamy said asking the BJP high command “does it have guts to sack Yeddyurappa?

Hitting out at Yeddyurappa for his statements that he would decimate JD (S), Kumaraswamy said: “Nobody can destroy our party. It is the people who have that power”. (ANI)