Ending nearly three days of political stalemate, BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday resigned as the chief minister of Karnataka amid indications that the BJP would likely name a successor of his choice. Yeddyurappa has recommended DV Sadananda Gowda, 58, sitting Lok Sabha member from Udupi-Chikmagalur, as his candidate for the post of chief minister. Gowda is also a former state BJP president.
According to a BJP party official, as many as 78 party MLAs have said that they would support Yeddyurappa?s nominee for the post amid ongoing discussions with senior party members Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley over the past two days.
Since Friday, the names of rural development minister Jagadish Shettar, Karnataka BJP chief KS Eshwarappa, former civil aviation minister in the NDA government Ananth Kumar and higher education minister VS Acharya have also been doing the rounds. The BJP veteran had held out despite the party?s directive to quit after he was indicted in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, insisting on having a say in choosing a new chief minister. However, Yeddyurappa said he was only waiting for Sunday as it was an auspicious day. The BJP?s decision to sack Yeddyurappa comes ahead of the Parliament session starting Monday.
Around 3.30 pm, Yeddyurappa started to walk the two kilometres to the Raj Bhavan from his house to give his resignation to governor HR Bhardwaj, accompanied by a large group including cabinet ministers, MLAs and party workers. ?As a disciplined soldier, bowing to decision of party leadership, I have stepped down as CM,? Yeddyurappa told reporters soon after stepping down from the post, listing out some of his government?s achievements in social welfare and industrial growth.
He also said his government was the first to ban exports of iron ore and reserve the mineral only for domestic steel-making. ?However despite my sincere attempts, I have been accused unfairly. I leave this to the judgment of the people of the state,? he said. ?I started off as an ordinary party worker. had not dreamed that I would become chief minister,? he said in an emotion-charged address at a public event, his last as chief minister, on Sunday afternoon. ?Till now, my hands and legs were tied. Now, I will travel freely across the state to work for the party.? Yeddyurappa, whose tenure lasted three years, headed the BJP?s first government in the south after state elections in 2008.