The acquittal of Karnataka BJP chief and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and others including his sons B.Y. Raghavendra and B.Y. Vijayendra and son-in-law R.N. Sohan by a special CBI court of charges of accepting Rs 40 crore as kickbacks from mining companies, is a major shot in the arm for the beleaguered leader. The prosecution case was that the kickbacks were routed through the Prerana Trust, managed by Yeddyurappa’s family members when he was chief minister. The CBI had registered an FIR against them in May, 2012 after the Supreme Court directed it to probe charges that undue favours were granted to firms involved in illegal mining of iron ore in return for donations to the Prerana Educational and Social Trust. The cases related to conspiracy, cheating and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Since the BJP at that point of time was known for claiming that it was a party with a difference, the charges against Yeddyurappa were seen by his detractors as a stick with which to beat the BJP and its leader. Predictably, while Yeddyurappa has hailed the verdict as a vindication of his position that he and his family were above board, the Congress party is alleging that it is a judgment that is based on exercise of political influence. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says in reaction to the judgment that if a murderer is acquitted for lack of evidence, it does not mean that he has not committed the murder.
However, that the verdict will considerably improve BJP’s chances of returning to power in the 2018 Assembly elections is a reasonable surmise. The jubilation in BJP circles is therefore quite understandable. Wednesday’s judgment helps the Lingayat strongman to ‘more or less’ wash away the taint. Four cases, all private complaints related to denotification, are pending against Yeddyurappa who is nursing the ambition of becoming the chief minister for the third time. The Karnataka High Court had, earlier this year, quashed all 15 FIRs against Yeddyurappa by the Lokayukta police under Prevention of Corruption Act. As many as 21 cases against him for illegal denotification of land and nepotism were closed. Yeddyurappa, who was the first BJP chief minister in South India, has many detractors even in his own party. In addition, he has the Congress and the Janata Dal (united) to contend with. Knowing that the Central BJP is
with Yeddyurappa and the courts have cleared him, he can
now assert himself strongly by taking on the Siddaramaiah government.
