New Delhi: Yeddyurappa Reaches Delhi, Likely to Resign

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI): Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who had ignored summons by the BJP top brass to come for a meeting in Delhi, could no longer hold out on Monday afternoon and took a flight to the national capital. He reaches Delhi to attend BJP party high command meeting at Venkaiah Naidu's house. Indications are that he has been asked to resign over corruption charges.

Yeddyurappa ignored summons to reach Delhi this morning but had rushed his trusted Cabinet minister V S Acharya.

Under mounting pressure to step down in the wake of alleged land scams, a defiant Yeddyurappa also appeared to be sending feelers to the BJP top brass to refrain from pushing for his resignation, hours after he cancelled his visit to Delhi last night.

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

The chief minister was summoned to reach the national capital this morning but he left for Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh to "seek the blessings" of Sri Satya Sai Baba. He is participating in the ongoing 85th birthday celebrations of Satya Sai Baba, sources said.

The BJP leadership, which yesterday summoned Yeddyurappa to meet them, also sent word to him through one of his sons that he should quit by today, party sources said.

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

"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 senior leaders say," the chief minister had said before he left for Puttaparthi from Bangalore.