Yeddy will always be our leader: supporters

Yeddyurappa loyalists finally finished their meeting with Bharatiya Janata party central leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh at Hotel Ashok in Bengaluru.

While they requested the leaders not to choose general secretary Ananth Kumar at any cost for the chief minister's post, they also made a strong pitch to make Yeddyurappa the party president.

In addition to this, around 50 Yeddyurappa loyalists who met with the senior leaders also handed over a signed memorandum. In the memorandum they have first said that the high command should not let go of Yeddyurappa.

In addition, they have also said that Yeddyurappa will always be their leader and hence be made the state BJP president.

Yeddyurappa's supporters have also complained that Kumar's name features in the Nira Radia tapes and also the major Housing Urban Development Corporationscam.

"Since he is tainted, he should not be permitted to become the chief minister," said one of the supporters.

In response, Kumar clarified that all his senior leaders have said many times that the allegations were baseless. He, however, refused to say anything more on the on going developments in Bengaluru.

In the memorandum, they have requested the high command not to appoint Kumar at any cost. The leaders have been shouting slogans against Kumar and have stated that he should not be made the CM, come what may.

This move gives a signal that the high command is toying with the idea of making Kumar the CM. The bad blood between him and Yeddyurappa is an open secret, and all this while,  the latter has been saying that he would never accept Kumar's candidature.

However, the high command has made it clear to Yeddyurappa that they would choose the next leader on the basis on the opinion of all the legislators. The BJP wants to get this process over with, as it wants to hold the legislature party meeting on Sunday at any cost.

Home Minister R Ashok who was not part of this group said he was taken aback by the allegations against Kumar. While downplaying any split in the party he said that the entire crisis would be over by Sunday.

Image: Ananth Kumar