‘Honest, pro-Hindu’ CM to interchange BS Yediyurappa: BJP chief

After Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel’s purported audio dialog, hinting at a attainable management change within the state, fuelled extra hypothesis on B S Yediyurappa’s exit as Chief Minister, senior BJP chief Basavaraj Patil Yatnal on Monday mentioned the social gathering’s central management will quickly decide a brand new CM, somebody who’s “honest, pro Hindu, and capable of bringing the BJP back to power”.
The leaked audio, which has a voice resembling that of Kateel — he has denied any hyperlinks to the audio and dismissed it as faux — hints at certainly one of three Karnataka leaders at present based mostly in Delhi being despatched as CM to interchange Yediyurappa, 78.
Yediyurappa, who returned from Delhi on Saturday, didn’t problem any assertion on Monday to stress his continuance in workplace for the remaining two years of the BJP authorities’s tenure.
Yatnal, a former Union minister, MLA from Bijapur, and seen as probably the most distinguished Yediyurappa baiters in latest days, mentioned on Monday: “I am not in any race. The PM will pick a leader who is honest, pro-Hindu and capable of bringing the party to power in the next polls as CM.”
Karnataka is due for Assembly polls in 2023.
Yatnal has been thought of as having an out of doors probability of being the subsequent CM, as he comes from the Lingayat neighborhood — like Yediyurappa — however from a bigger and backward sub-caste, Panchamsali. He was on the forefront of an agitation earlier this yr by the Panchamsali Lingayats, searching for recognition as a backward caste group.
The Delhi frontrunners whose names have been in circulation are that of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP nationwide organising secretary B L Santhosh — each are Brahmins — and social gathering nationwide basic secretary C T Ravi, who comes from Vokkaliga neighborhood.
But if BJP opts to go together with a frontrunner from the Lingayat neighborhood — as a substitute for Lingayat strongman Yediyurappa — then businessman-politician and state Mining Minister Murugesh Nirani; younger MLA Arvind Bellad (son of a veteran RSS and BJP chief); and Yatnal are thought of to be within the reckoning.
“It is said that Arvind Bellad was very close to becoming the CM until a few weeks ago,” a supply in BJP mentioned. Bellad, 51, had alleged a couple of weeks in the past that his cellphone was being tapped by the state authorities. A police inquiry was held however the allegations weren’t established.
Nirani has denied being an aspirant for the CM’s put up.
On Monday, Yatnal additionally mentioned: “Yediyurappa should have taken with him to Delhi someone whom he sees as his replacement. His close associate Basvaraj Bommai was there, the noble Govind Karjol was there, the effective speaker R Ashok (state Revenue Minister) was there…but none of them were taken along.”
Meanwhile, Yediyurappa on Monday ordered launch of Rs 1,277 crore funds to MLA constituencies via the agricultural improvement division in what’s seen as an effort to appease BJP MLAs forward of a legislature social gathering assembly on July 26.