Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappas efforts to obtain a guarantee of a prominent position for himself in the state BJP before his birthday on February 27 did not yield the expected results during the course of a meeting with national BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Friday. Yeddyurappa who had to quit as Chief Minister after being linked to illegal mining in a report of the Karnataka Lok Ayukta last July had primed his supporters to demand his reinstatement in the state by citing the alleged shortcomings of the current Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda. The BJP national president,however,advised Yeddyurappa to come clean in the cases of corruption against him before he can be reconsidered for any key position in the state. Gadkari,who was in Bangalore for a meeting with state party leaders to chart out the course of action for a parliamentary bypoll in the state and to assess governance issues,ruled out any changes in the state BJP leadership. Sadananda Gowda is leading the government now. The question of changing the leadership does not arise, Gadkari said ahead of the meeting with BJP legislators and shortly after Yeddyurappa met him. There is no political crisis in Karnataka. The party is united. The party is committed to the progress and development of Karnataka, Gadkari said. Yeddyurappa has been sending out the message through his supporters over the past week that he is going to stay away from the party from February 27 and possibly quit if his needs are not addressed. The move is seen as a strategy to counter efforts by the state BJP leadership to isolate Yeddyurappa and gradually cut his support base.
