CM rules out stepping down

Mired in charges of corruption and nepotism, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today dismissed suggestions that BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and RSS were “unhappy” with him and ruled out any leadership change in the state.

“I spoke to our party president Nitin Gadkari last night and briefed him elaborately over the media reports (on the allegations),” said Yeddyurappa, who has come under attack from the opposition which is seeking his ouster over alleged land scams and has questioned the allotment of land to a firm in which his two sons are partners.

“I will continue as chief minister for the remaining two and a half years,” he told reporters here. Yeddyurappa claimed that Gadkari expressed “happiness” over the performance of his government, even as party sources said the BJP chief will soon be visiting Bangalore for an on the spot assessment of the situation. “The reports that Gadkari and RSS are unhappy with me are only a media creation,” Yeddyurappa said.

Yeddyurappa denied that he had written to top BJP leaders against National General Secretary H N Ananthkumar accusing him of working against his government and making attempts to topple it.

“Ananthkumar and myself have worked for building the party. There are no differences between us,” the chief minister said. Rattled over the graft allegations against its first-ever government in the south, Gadkari has decided to visit the city for an on the spot assessment of the situation, party sources said.

Gadkari, who will be arriving here shortly, will hold parleys with the state unit leaders, but the date is yet to be fixed, BJP sources said. Top party leaders are seized of the issue of alleged scams, they said. Yeddyurappa had earlier said he was ready to order a judicial probe into denotification and allotment of lands and sites in the last ten years if the opposition agreed.