Bengaluru: Ending the month-long speculations over his political future, Karnataka Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa on Monday said that he will resign from his position. Speaking at a program as his government completed two years in Karnataka, the 78-year-old Lingayat strongman said that he will meet the Governor after lunch, submitting his resignation.
“Don’t take me otherwise, with your permission… I have decided that after lunch I will go to the Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation as the Chief Minister to the Governor,” Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
However, Yediyurappa, while announcing his resignation, got emotional said that the last two years were an “agnipariksha” for him. He also said that the people of Karnataka have lost their faith in the government. “When (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was Prime Minister, he asked me to be a minister at the Centre. But I said I will be in Karnataka,” he noted.
Yediyurappa’s resignation comes amid the calls in the state BJP to change the leadership. The 78-year-old had also visited Delhi last week and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah but had refuted reports of leadership in Karnataka.
However, on Sunday night, Yediyurappa had hinted at his resignation, saying he will get a “message” from the top brass of the BJP by Monday. The Lingayat strongman, however, had said that he would continue to work for the betterment of the BJP in Karnataka.
Tough to find Yediyurappa’s replacement
With Yediyurappa deciding to submit his resignation, speculations are rife about his replacement. However, a senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity has told news agency ANI that the party would find it difficult to find a suitable replacement for the Lingayat strongman.
However, the leader asserted that the BJP will win the assembly elections in Karnataka in 2023. He also said that Congress won’t be able to gain political ground from leadership change in the Karnataka government.
“If anyone gets any chance except the Lingayat community, then everyone will accept it. But it may harm BJP,” the leader said. “No, Congress is divided into many camps. Today Congress has four groups, by the time of the elections will be 10”.
Bureau Report
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