Bangalore, May 19 (PTI): Miffed over the party's top brass sidelining him, sulking BJP Karnataka strongman B S Yeddyurappa today said he would not attend the party National Executive to be held in Mumbai from May 24.
"I will not attend the party national executive," Yeddyurappa, who recently pushed the party government to a crisis that had threatened its survival, told reporters here.
However, Yeddyurappa sought to set at rest speculation about his future political moves, saying he will not join any political outfit including the Congress.
"There is speculation that I am going to join Congress. It is far from truth. There is no question of joining any political party", Yeddyurappa said after meeting people at his new "Public Meeting Centre".
Yeddyurappa's reaction came against the backdrop of comments made by some Congress leaders over admitting the former chief minister into the party.
He said he would tour the state after May 30 to know the pulse of the people and take an appropriate decision on his future.
After sparking a crisis with nine ministers and several MLA loyal to him submitting their resignations, Yeddyurappa however, announced a few days ago that he had deferred his decision to quit the party.The beleagured BJP leader, who has been facing a spate of corruption cases and a CBI probe, praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and described him as a "straight forward man and dynamic chief minister."
Yeddyurappa's remarks assume significance as Modi is also reportedly unhappy with the BJP central leadership over certain issues amid recent reports that he might not attend the BJP National Executive meeting.
He said there were problems in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka and wanted the party to introspect and resolve them.
Yeddyurappa said certain important leaders in Karnataka and Gujarat have expressed displeasure and wanted the upcoming national executive to deliberate on the "serious" issue.
"After (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, a leader like L K Advani is leading the party. He is capable of taking decisions for the good of the party. However, Anantkumar (party general secretary) is not allowing him take decisions and resolve crisis. Anantkumar is trying to keep the party under his clutches", he said.
"Anantkumar creates confusion and doubtful situation. It is very tragic that Anantkumar is not only misguiding the party, but also trying to dominate", he alleged.
BJP has leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, who had good leadership qualities, but Anantkumar is "suppressing" them, he said.
He charged that Kumar was preventing any MP from Karnataka though it has stalwarts like D B Chandregowda, Suresh Angadi and Basavaraj, from coming into prominence.
Yeddyurappa said he was hurt at the way he was treated in the party, which he built in the last forty years.
He said BJP General Secretary Dhamendra Pradhan, who is camping in the city since yesterday to resolve the crisis, met him. "I also spoke by phone to Gadkari and Jaitley", he added.The Lingayat leader said he was not asking the party for any position ... either the chief ministership or the state unit president.
Yeddyurappa expressed displeasure over the party high command not making efforts to resolve the political crisis that has rocked the Karnataka unit in the last three months, with assembly elections scheduled early next year.
He found fault with the party's decision to choose retired bureaucrat Ramakrishna for the Rajya Sabha seat ignoring seniors like BJP Spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman.