BSY on reinstatement as CM: No positive response from BJP

Continuing to blow hot and cold on the leadership issue, Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka strongman B S Yeddyurappa on Sunday said the central leadership has not given any positive response to his "supporters' demand" to reinstate him as chief minister.

"The central leadership has not given me any positive response to my supporters demand to reinstate me as chief minister. What they will do I have to wait and watch," he told the media travelling with him on a train en route to Shimoga, his home district.

The former chief minister's remarks come a day after he said he did not expect anything and the decision was left to the party's leadership. "I will abide by whatever decision the central leadership takes," he had said after he hosted a breakfast meeting for party legislators and ministers at Bangalore, claimed to have been attended by more than 70 members of Legislative Assembly and 18 members of Parliament.

Yeddyurappa will attend a function in Shimoga where he will be felicitated by his supporters. The Lingayat strongman had recently staged a show of strength by mobilising about 70 MLAs at a resort before calling a truce at the central leadership's intervention.

Yeddyurappa claimed that never in the history of the country or state politics has there been any such instance of growing support for a former chief minister. Former chief ministers like Devaraj Urs, S Bangarappa and R Gundu Rao had no support as soon as they lost the chief minister's chair, he claimed.

"In my case, on the contrary, the support has been growing. When I assumed chief minister's mantle I had 70 MLAs supporting me....Same number MLAs also were with me when I submitted resignation to Governor H R Bhardwaj," he said.

"Even now I command respect from 70 MLAs. Show me any instance recorded in the annals of Indian and state politics where an erstwhile chief minister's popularity has only increased. This development nobody (including central leadership) is noticing," she added.

Asked if it was necessary for him to float a new regional party, he said people would not accept him doing it. "I built the BJP by winning two seats in the beginning and then I brought it to power by winning 110 seats and increased its number to 120 and ruled the state for three years."

"There is no looking back. My aim is to see the BJP winning 150 seats in 2013 state (assembly) elections," he said.

Yeddyurappa has off and on been putting pressure on the central leadership to reinstate him as chief minister after he was forced to step down in July last following indictment by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.

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