New Delhi : Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said he would abide by the decision of the BJP high command on him. “Whatever decision our national leaders are going to take about me, I am going to obey their orders,” he told reporters here.
“Today, I am going to meet all our national leaders and I am going to explain the situation in Karnataka, We are facing Zila panchayat elections within a month,” he said.
Asked if he would step down, the chief minister said, “I have not committed any mistake. I will meet the central leaders. Whatever they say, I will obey. But so far no body has asked my resignation”.
The chief minister said he had discussed the “political situation” in Karnataka with senior leader Arun Jaitley and would meet other central leaders today.
Yeddyurappa is likely to meet BJP leader Nitin Gadkari later in the afternoon to discuss the crisis.
He maintained that the central leadership has not asked him to step down, adding that he had ordered an inquiry into the alleged land scams by a retired high court judge Justice B Patmaraj.
Yeddyurappa, who is claiming to have the support of 110-120 MLAs, said all community people were supporting him.
Top party leaders, including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Rajnath Singh are understood to have decided that the Chief Minister’s continuance has become untenable and that he should be told to make way.
The Chief Minister has, however, kept the party guessing on his moves.
Yeddyurappa has reportedly told the party leadership that his removal might harm the first-ever BJP government in the South, for whose formation he had played a key part.
Yeddyurappa has earlier deputed a team of his loyalists, including Home Minister R Ashok, a prominent Vokkaliga leader, Higher Education Minister VS Acharya, a probable to replace the Chief Minister in the event of his exit, and some others to Delhi to persuade the party against change in leadership.