BJP high command summons Yeddyurappa

The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership on Thursday decided to call Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is in the thick of controversy over denotification of prime urban land in favour of his family members, to New Delhi for discussions on the crisis facing the party government in the state.

The Core Group of the party, which met at the residence of senior leader L K Advani, discussed the current situation including dissidence in the party against the chief minister who has been accused of nepotism and corruption.

The leadership is said to be of the view that the political embarrassment in Karnataka has come at a time when the party is spearheading a campaign against the Central government on the issue of corruption.

Party sources said the leaders were looking for a way out of the situation but were unclear how to go about it. The leaders maintained that removal of the CM may not be a viable option given the delicate balance in the state politics.

But if it comes to the crunch, the possibility of an alternative leader from dominant Lingayat community, to which the chief minsiter belongs, cannot be ruled out, party sources said.

Emerging from BJP's core group meeting, senior leader Arun Jaitley told mediapersons that it was decided in the meeting that the CM and other important leaders will be called in the coming one or two days to discuss the entire subject with the central leadership.

Earlier, party sources had said the Chief Minsiter was summoned on Thursday night but reports from Banglore said Yeddyurappa cancelled his late night flight booking to Delhi.

Ananth Kumar, MP from Karnataka, who is accused by chief minister's supporters of fanning dissidence against him, also attended the Core Group meeting.

With inputs from PTI