Yeddyurappa foils BJP's plan, advances party launch

The tug-of-war between the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and former state chief minister B S Yeddyurappa continues with the latter deciding to advance the launch of his party by a day in view of the special session of the legislative assembly scheduled to be held at Belgaum.

Yeddyurappa, who has decided to quit the BJP, had initially decided to launch the Karnataka Janata Party on December 10.

But the launch will now take place on December 9 as the special session of the assembly is to be held on December 10, Yeddyurappa's followers told rediff.com. The former CM felt that if the much-hyped launch of his party coincided with the special session, many leaders may not turn up for the event. He also didn't want his legislators to miss the session in Belgaum.

Dhananjay Kumar, the president of the Karnataka Janata Party, had earlier indicated that they would hold a special session of the new party on December 9. The next day, the new party would be launched at Haveri.

Yeddyurappa has now decided to organise a mammoth rally in Haveri before the party is officially launched.

The ruling BJP had decided to play spoilsport and conduct the winter session of the assembly between December 5 and December 13. This is a strategic move to counter Yeddyurappa as in such a scenario, his followers would have no option but to miss the launch of the party.

BJP leaders claim that this is merely an effort to buy some time so that the party top brass can again try to intervene and change Yeddyurappa's mind.

The former CM, who is facing several corruption charges, has remained adamant on his decision to quit the party. But some of his loyal followers in the saffron party are still trying their best to convince him to stay back.

Yeddyurappa's recent lunch meeting with his supporters was a success as he managed to summon 56 leaders -- including BJP's members of Parliament, members of legislative assembly and members of legislative council -- at the meet.

Although these leaders will take part in the launch function of his party at Haveri on December 9, it is not clear how many of them will actually join the Karnataka Janata Party.

Yeddyurappa has urged them to not leave the ruling government in the lurch by abandoning it in the middle of its term. He does not want to be perceived as the person who brought down the ruling BJP government.

But if Yeddyurappa goes ahead with his plans with the new party, at least 25 MLAs are expected to defect to his side.

The former CM also announced that his party will contest from all the constituencies in the state in the next assembly elections, adding that he would get re-elected like United States President Barack Obama.