Hope Gadkari takes the right decision: Yeddyurappa

Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, insisting on his reinstatement, on Thursday expressed happiness over his meeting with BJP President Nitin Gadkari and said he was confident the party leadership will take the "right decision".

Emerging from a long meeting with Gadkari and central leaders including General Secretaries Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ramlal, Yeddyurappa said, "I am happy with the outcome of the meeting...I am confident that party president and the party will take the right decision in the interest of the party and the people of Karnataka."

Yeddyurappa claimed that Gadkari had conveyed to him that he will take an "appropriate decision" in the light of his request that he be reinstated as chief minister after the Karnataka High Court gave him a clean chit in a graft case.

The Lingayat leader met Gadkari after his successor to the post of chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda and state unit president K Eshwarappa had met the party president.

Significantly, while Gowda unilaterally announced to the media that he had been assured by the party high command that there will be no change of leadership "at present" in Karnataka government, Yeddyurappa was accompanied by Pradhan who is in-charge of the state when he made his statement.

Party sources said Yeddyurappa has been asked to have patience for some more time. The central leadership wants the on-going biennial Rajya Sabha polls to get over on March 30.

"Gadkari will take an appropriate decision in consultation with the central leadership. He has also advised all parties concerned to maintain strict party discipline," Prasad said.

BJP's humiliating defeat in the Udipi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha by-election by a huge margin of 45,724 votes also came up for discussion during Gadkari's separate meetings with Gowda, Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa and Karnataka minister Jagdish Shettar.

The Lok Sabha seat was represented by Gowda before he replaced Yeddyurappa as chief minister. Gowda's camp is said to have put the blame for this loss on lack of support from Yeddyurappa.

With Yeddyurappa claiming to have the support of around 66 of the 120 BJP MLAs in the 224-member assembly, the party would find it difficult to win atleast one of the two Rajya Sabha seats for which it has fielded its candidates.

It also needs his support for smooth passage of the state budget which was presented on Wednesday.

A visibly relieved Yeddyurappa told media persons after his meeting with Gadkari in New Delhi that when he was asked to step down earlier, the party president had promised him that he will be reinstated once his name is cleared by the court.

"The judgment of the (Karnataka) high court has held the (Lokayukta) report as flawed and illegal and quashed it so no action can be taken against me," Yeddyurappa said, adding that on this basis, he has asked Gadkari to reinstate him.

Prasad maintained that Gadkari discussed the current situation in Karnataka separately with the state unit leaders and gave all the four "a very patient hearing".

Though some of the top central leaders of BJP are against Yeddyurappa, the party appears to be reconciled to his return as chief minister in view of his mass base. Without his support BJP may put up a dismal performance in the assembly elections due next year.