Yeddyurappa Agrees to Step Down, but After July 31
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jul 28: After much defiance and downright refusal to step down despite BJP high command's orders, Yeddyurappa on Thursday July 28 evening finally decided to resign.
Yeddyurappa sent a formal resignation letter to BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, sources said.
However, he is yet to submit his resignation to the governor. He will tender his resignation to the governor on July 31, because, "according to the Hindu calendar, this Ashadha month from July 2-30 is considered inauspicious to take any important decisions," said an official at the CM's office.
At the same, the resignation is seen as a tactic by Yeddyurappa to show that he was abiding by the high command's decision. Sources said that BJP will take his resignation seriously only after he submits the same to the governor.
His resignation has come after some high drama, including a midnight meeting of the BJP in New Delhi and much shuttling back and forth New Delhi and Bangalore by the CM. Yeddyurappa is still sticking on to his demands for a powerful post in the state BJP, it is learnt and also is adamant on selecting his own candidate as his successor.
It is unclear as to who the BJP high command will appoint as the next CM. Some of the names doing the rounds are those of panchayat raj minister Jagadish Shettar, state BJP president Eshwarappa and Lok Sabha member Ananth Kumar.
Earlier Eshwarappa had told reporters, "As a loyal and disciplined member of the party, Yeddyurappa will obey the decision of the high command and resign soon. Though the chief minister explained his position on the mining issue to the party president (Nitin Gadkari) late Wednesday, Yeddyurappa has no alternative than to step down in conformity with the leadership's decision."
"The party high command advised me to convene a meeting of the party's legislators Friday to elect a new leader in place of Yeddyurappa in the presence of the party's senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh," he added.
Yeddyurappa had been given time up till 11 pm on Thursday to resign from his post.
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