Decks cleared for Yeddy's successor

Scam-tainted Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday remained at home as senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh met party legislators to decide on his successor.

About 55 legislators including several members of the Yeddyurappa camp arrived at Hotel Lalit Ashok in two luxury buses, where the two BJP observers were camping. On Friday, Jaitley and Singh began the exercise to seek the views of the legislators for nominating a new leader to succeed Yeddyurappa, following his announcement to quit the chief minister's post.

According to sources, former BJP state unit president Sadananda Gowda and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar, are the front-runners for the chief minister’s post.

Gowda, who belongs to the Vokkaliga community, is Yeddyurappa’s choice, while Shettar, another prominent Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, commands the support of thr rival lobby led by H N Anant Kumar, Member of Parliament from Bangalore South.

Earlier, in a signed statement, Yeddyurappa said: “According to the decision taken by senior leaders of the party’s parliamentary board on Thursday, I will resign from the chief minister’s post on Sunday afternoon.”

“I am a disciplined worker of the BJP. The month of Ashada (according to Hindu calendar) will be over on July 30 on the New Moon day or Amavasya. I will be tendering my resignation as chief minister on the forenoon of July 31.”