BJP asks defiant Yeddyurappa to resign

The BJP parliamentary board has formally asked Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa to tender his resignation immediately. The board met today to decide the fate of a defiant Yeddyurappa amid signs that his continuance in office could be untenable in wake of the Lokayukta indictment in the mining scam.

"BJP Parliamentary board decides for a change in leadership of the BJP Legislature Party in Karnataka," said party spokesman Ravishankar Prasad.

The top brass of the BJP including LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu among others met this morning at the residence of BJP President Nitin Gadkari, who met Yeddyurappa late last night. Yeddyurappa met Gadkari along with his ministers and close confidantes and had appeared defiant then and said that he had not been asked to resign.

While the BJP Karnataka MLAs were asked to skip today's meet, the Chief Minister tried to convince the central leadership that the charges made in the Lokayukta report were not new and a court case was already pending in the matter.

The board, however, unanimously decided that the leadership of the Karnataka BJP legislature party should be changed. BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh deputed as central observers to choose new leader in Karnataka. They will be going to Bangalore tomorrow to decide Yeddyurappa's successor.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharam said the Board's decision has been conveyed to Yeddyurappa and discounted suggestions of a possible rebellion in the Karnataka unit of the party.

Yeddyurappa has already informed Gadkari that he would abide by whatever decision taken by the party leadership, she said.

In Bangalore, some Ministers and MLAs have gathered at the Race Course residence of Yeddyurappa who returned to Bangalore this morning after parleys with the BJP leadership in New Delhi which went on till 2 am.

While Karnataka's opposition party Congress maintained that all ministers in Karnataka ought to leave.