Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday reiterated that the Bharatiya Janata Party high command was likely to decide on leadership change in the state by evening, reported The Indian Express.

“By evening, once it [communication from party leadership] comes, you will also get to know about it,” Yediyurappa told reporters. “I will take an appropriate decision following it.”

There are speculations that the Yediyurappa will resign as the chief minister of the state. However, he has maintained that he has not been asked to do so but will step down if the central leadership says.

Rifts within the Karnataka unit of the BJP have come to the fore in recent weeks. A section of MLAs has been critical of the chief minister’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and alleged instances of corruption.

On Thursday, the chief minister had given a date regarding the leadership change. “There is an event on July 26 on completion of two years of our government here [in Bengaluru],” he had said. “After this, I will follow whatever [BJP president] JP Nadda will decide. You all know that two months ago I had said I would resign to make way for someone else. Whether I am in power or not, it is my duty to bring back the BJP to power. I urge party workers and seers to cooperate.”

Yediyurappa had also appealed to his colleagues in the BJP on Wednesday to “not indulge in protest and indiscipline” amid pressure over exit rumours. “...It is my utmost honour to serve the party with [the] highest standards of ethics and behaviour,” he had tweeted.

It was, however, not immediately clear if the message was meant for the dissidents within the BJP calling for his removal, or the chief minister’s supporters who might stage protests if he was asked to quit.

On Sunday, when asked if a Dalit leader would be made the chief minister, Yediyurappa again responded that the decision will be taken by the saffron party’s high command.

Earlier on Friday, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Siddarmaiah had urged the BJP to elect a Dalit leader as the next chief minister. He had alleged that the party was otherwise against the community if not for some statements made by a few leaders, including state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel.

On Lingayat seers planning to hold a conclave in Bengaluru to support him, the chief minister said that they do not need to do it as he has confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda.

The political crisis

Last week, a purported audio clip on a possible “leadership change” in the state was widely shared on social media. The voice on the clip resembled that of Kateel, who denied the claim.

On Monday, state MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said that the party’s central leadership will soon pick a new chief minister for Karnataka who is “honest, pro-Hindu and capable of bringing the BJP back to power”. Yatnal, one of the strongest voices in the anti-Yediyurappa camp had earlier in July called him “inactive” and asked him to retire respectfully.

Last week, he along with his son met multiple top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief JP Nadda. After the meetings, the chief minister dismissed speculations about his resignation.

Reports suggest that the party’s central leadership has asked Yediyurappa to decide whether he wants to resign.

On two successive days on Tuesday and Wednesday, the chief minister met several spiritual leaders from across the state. Reports said that the meetings were meant to be a political message to the BJP leadership and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on the support Yediyurappa enjoys among the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, which makes up for 16% of the state’s population.