Bangalore : A day after the BJP high command explored the option of a non-Lingayat to head the party in Karnataka, former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa upped the ante on Thursday to consider him for the post.

Ministers and MLAs loyal to him held a meeting at the residence of public works department minister CM Udasi’s residence and resolved to demand the post be given to him. Ministers V Somanna, Basavaraj Bommai, MP Renukacharya, Umesh V Katti and Kota Srinivas Poojary attended the meeting and decided to apprise the party’s national leaders in Delhi about the need to make Yeddyurappa the chief ahead of the assembly elections.

Yeddyurappa will kick off a state tour on Oct. 2 and end on Nov. 19 in Davanagere to assess the mood of the people.

In an effort to give adequate representation to other communities, BJP leaders are on the look-out for a Vokkaliga, Brahmin or Dalit to succeed KS Eshwarappa.

Eshwarappa and team on Wednesday suggested six names — Prahalad Joshi and Visvesvara Hedge Kageri (both Brahmins); Nalin Kumar Kateel (Bunt); R Ashoka and CT Ravi (both Vokkaligas) and Govind M Karjol and A Narayanaswamy (both Dalits).

BSY loyalists asked chief minister Jagadish Shettar to join them and press for the former CM’s case as they said Yeddyurappa had made Shettar the CM much against the wishes of the high command.-Times of India