Karnataka Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge commenting on chief minister BS Yediyurappa's Delhi visit on Saturday said the ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party is unstable in the state.
Kharge said, "BJP MLAs and ministers are openly speaking of ousting the CM. I don't think this has been a situation in any state, it's been going for 7-8 months."
"It's affecting state administration," he added.
Disgruntlement in the ranks and recent meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP officials have fuelled speculation that Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa might resign from his post. And while the CM has vehemently denied the claims, reports quoting sources suggest that he had offered to quit.
While the Party has offered the post of deputy chief minister to his son B.Y. Vijayendra, Yediyurappa has apparently been insisting on the post of the state party president for him. The calculation is to go to the assembly elections under his son's leadership, thus making Vijayendra the natural choice for the CM post.
However, the chief minister has refuted rumours of his resignation saying it is not true at all.
The high command is keen on giving an honourable exit to Yediyurappa but at the same time, the party wants to take its own decisions in connection with its prospects in the state. It is to be recalled that, Yediyurappa had defied the party top brass openly and split away to form his own party, KJP in 2012, ensuring the defeat of the BJP in the state polls of 2014. The BJP had to give a red carpet welcome to him later before assuming power in the state.
Yediyurappa today met BJP chief J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
When asked about the speculated changes in Karnataka ahead of his meeting with Nadda, Yediyurappa termed it rumours and said, "This is all rumours. Yesterday I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the development of the state.
"I am coming back to Delhi in the first week of next month. There is no value for such news." When asked if he resigned, Yediyurappa said, "Not at all, not at all."
