BJP decision on taking back Yeddyurappa likely on June 29

Bangalore, Jun 28 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party's central leaders may take a decision Saturday on taking back the party's former leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, BJP's Karnataka unit president Pralhad Joshi said Thursday.

Joshi's statement followed a meeting he had here Thursday with several state BJP leaders who have been campaigning for the return of Yeddyurappa, who now heads Karnataka Janata Party, to BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"Several state party leaders have expressed their views on the issue which will be conveyed to our president Rajnath Singh and central leaders," Joshi told reporters here after the meeting.

He said the party's central leaders may decide on the issue June 29.

Those who met Joshi seeking Yeddyurappa's return included former ministers Aravind Limbavali, Umesh Katti and Basavaraj Bommai.

The move to bring back Yeddyurappa follows the drubbing BJP received in the May 5 assembly elections which ended its maiden rule in the state.

The BJP won just 40 seats, losing 70 seats. It had won 110 seats in the 225-member assembly in 2008 and Yeddyurappa was largely credited for this show. He formed the government with the support of independents.

However, he was forced out of office three years later over mining bribery charges. Bitter about this and the failure of the party to make him state unit chief, Yeddyurappa quit BJP last year to head KJP with the sole aim of defeating his former party in the assembly poll.

He succeeded in it as the KJP took away a huge chunk of BJP votes though it won just six seats itself.