The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday tried to put a brave front about the political muscle-flexing by former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is trying to appoint his preferred candidate as his successor.
The party leadership believes Yeddyurappa's clout has dipped after he was forced to resign on Sunday.
Reacting to reports that Yeddyurappa wanted D V Sadananda Gowda, a member of Parliament, to be appointed as the chief minister, senior party leader Arun Jaitley on Monday asserted that it was nothing more than a suggestion.
"The new chief minister will be decided through election or by consensus, as both are perfectly acceptable, and that will take place in Bangalore on Wednesday at 11 am," he told reporters.
Jaitley, who had been camping in Bangalore with former party president Rajnath Singh for three days, said both of them had already spoken to 118 of the 121 party members of legislative assembly.
He said practically every party MP, MLA and MLC has been consulted and the result will be out on Wednesday after the formality of deciding the new CM is completed.