Thaindian News

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Monday said the party leadership was in talks with former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to settle the chief ministership row in the state, and added that he was sure Yeddyurappa “would not do anything to malign the image of the BJP”.

“On recommendation of the lokayukta, we asked Yeddyurappa to resign. We are talking with Yeddyurappa and he is a good party worker,” Gadkari told reporters.

Yeddyurappa had Sunday set a 48-hour deadline till Tuesday evening for his re-instatement. He had quit July 31 last year as chief minister over corruption charges, after which the chief ministership was given to D.V. Sadananda Gowda Aug 4.

“He will not do anything which will malign the image of BJP. He (Yeddyurappa) should wait for the party’s decision and we are committed to have decision on it immediately,” Gadkari said.

“Discussions are going on and ours is a democratic party. We will think on it and will take decision on appropriate time,” the part president added.

Gowda is to present the budget Wednesday but Yeddyurappa seems determined to prevent this.

“I have the support of 70 (of the party’s 120) legislators. We are gathering at one place so that the party high command knows the situation and takes the right decision very soon,” Yeddyurappa had said Sunday at his residence after a meeting with over 50 legislators, including several ministers, supporting him.

BJP leaders were under tremendous pressure to reinstate Yeddyurappa following the recent high court ruling in favour of him in the mining bribery case.

Yeddyurappa has taken on the ‘high command’ at a critical moment for the party as the state assembly is to meet Tuesday. Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda is to present the budget for 2013-14 Wednesday.

He and his supporters, including several ministers, have been camping in a resort on Bangalore’s outskirts to decide whether they should boycott the assembly to force the central leaders to accept his demand.

In New Delhi, about 10 BJP MPs lobbied with the central leaders to immediately replace Gowda with Yeddyurappa.

Senior party leader Arun Jaitley told reporters that he was in touch with Yeddyurappa and was confident of resolving the crisis.