Bengaluru Chief minister BS Yediyurappa who is on a two-day visit to Delhi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. He said that the meeting was largely regarding the development works in the state.
“I requested the PM to facilitate for early implementation of some state works. He has agreed for all,” he told media persons.
Yediyurappa is expected to meet senior ministers of the union government and the national leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After landing in Delhi, Yediyurappa said that he would meet the Prime Minister and other newly sworn in ministers from Karnataka and discuss with them the development works of the state including the construction of the contentious Mekedatu balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project.
At around 7.30 pm, the chief minister spoke to reporters again where he said that the newly sworn in ministers from the state will meet him at dinner.
When questioned, if there was any discussion on leadership change, Yediyurappa refrained from giving a straight answer. “I don’t know, you tell me,” he said.
The chief minister’s visit comes at a time when the cloud of uncertainty looms large over his continuing in his post for the remainder of the two-year term.
Before the meeting with the Prime Minister, Yediyurappa told reporters that he would meet union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and other prominent leaders of the party. There is also speculation that Yediyurappa would seek the Centre’s blessing for a cabinet reshuffle to accommodate the rebels to quell any dissent.
It remains to be seen which way the BJP high command will sway when it comes to Yediyurappa, who almost single handedly built the party over the last four decades. His unceremonious exit in 2012 removed the BJP from power in the only state in the south of the country where the saffron outfit has been able to make some inroads in recent decades.
People aware of the developments said that the chief minister meeting the Prime Minister in the guise of appraising the latter on the Mekedatu project and developmental works cannot be taken at face value.
“In my experience, a chief minister would meet the minister in-charge, the party leadership and others but not the Prime Minister directly,” said the BJP legislator from Karnataka, requesting anonymity. He added that there may be no telling as to when the BJP will replace Yedyurappa but this meeting in Delhi is definitely the “a step” towards it.
“They will start tightening everything from now,” he added.
Interestingly, Yediyurappa was accompanied by his two sons (BY Vijayendra, BY Raghavendra), grandson (Shashidhar Maradi), BJP MLC Leher Singh and two others.
People aware of the developments questioned why the chief minister chose not to take any officials with him, if the agenda was indeed to seek the support for developmental works.
Though it remains to be seen when Yediyurappa will be asked to step down, his stay on the chair threatens to dent the party’s chances in the 2023 assembly elections.
Another person aware of the developments said that the visit to Delhi is most likely to set the terms of a replacement, if the two sides do reach a deal amicably.
“There is no leadership change in Karnataka and Yediyurappa will continue. Yediyurappa is visiting Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and home minister, party president and other central ministers, especially the irrigation minister. Cauvery river issue is a major issue,”R Ashok, Karnataka’s minister for revenue and a person regarded as a member of Yediyurappa’s inner circles said on Friday.
Just two days ago, union Jal Shakthi minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited Karnataka and met Yediyurappa and all senior ministers of the state where he said that justice will be done to the southern state in the Mekedatu issue.
Yediyurappa has made it clear that he would like to remain in power till 2023 and, people aware of the developments said that the 78-year-old is hoping to placate his two sons in prominent roles in the government and party.
Vijayendra is the state BJP vice president and Raghavendra is the MP from Shivamogga, the chief minister’s home state.
Yediyurappa has at least once before said that Vijayendra would contest the 2023 assembly elections as a way to show that he would be the “heir apparent” of the Lingayat community and the BJP in Karnataka.
Raghavendra was among the probables to be inducted in Modi’s cabinet expansion but the centre favoured Shobha Karandlaje, another close associate of Yediyurappa, which was a strategy to keep the damage to a minimal if the chief minister does choose to do a repeat of his 2012 exit.
Adding to the similarities from a decade ago, Yediyurappa and his family continue to see rising charges of corruption. There have been at least three major cases against the chief minister and his family in the last one month and several more against ministers and legislators of his party.
Yediyurappa has sought to take refuge behind the Lingayat community, believed to be the single largest group in the state who have backed the former since the turn of the century.
However, leaders like Basanagouda Yatnal among others have now successfully bracketed Yediyurappa as a person from one of the sub-sects of the Lingayats and not of the entire community.
“There is no reason to complain because they have made all concessions for Yediyurappa. He left the party and came back as chief minister which is a first. He is over the 75-years age limit and there is non-performance,” said one senior BJP leader, requesting not to be named.
Yediyurappa’s confidence, if any, comes from the fact that the BJP in Karnataka does not have a credible replacement, which people aware of the developments said, is not true since the saffron outfit will abide by the person nominated by the central leadership.
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