Bangalore: After Birthday Bash, Resort Stay, Yeddy Serves Breakfast
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Mar 30: Even as the countdown begins for the Supreme Court’s decision on ordering a CBI probe into the kickbacks allegedly paid by beneficiaries of land denotifications and illegal mining into the educational trusts run by the sons of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, the Lingayat stalwart who has been making repeated attempts to get himself reinstated in the chief ministerial gaddi ousting the incumbent D V Sadananda Gowda has resorted to mobilise his supporters by offering breakfast.
Yeddyurappa, who has been resorting to one gimmick and strategy after another since the last few months to get himself reinstated as the Chief Minister, had organized his birthday to mark his turning 70 with massive public celebrations in Hubli and elsewhere in order to mount pressure on the BJP high command and later herded his supporters in the Golden Palm resort in the city outskirts before the commencement of the just completed budget session of the State legislature.
When all the pressure tactics failed to convince the party high command to relent and agree to accept his demand for a honourable rehabilitation, the former chief minister tried to mount pressure through the seers belonging to his Lingayat community and even went on a pilgrimage to Vaishnodevi temple in Srinagar.
Finally, Yeddyurpapa even tried to bring pressure on the BJP national leadership by meeting them personally and also dispatching the ministers and state MPs loyal to him to no avail. He tried his best to prevent his chosen successor D V Sadananda Gowda from presenting the state’s annual budget for the year 2012-13 and even threatened to boycott the State legislature session along with his supporters.
However, none of the attempts and efforts of Yeddyurappa to get himself rehabilitated succeeded and the former chief minister as well as his supporters had no other alternative but to meekly attend the legislature session.
And now, at a time when the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court to probe the complaints against Yeddyurappa and submit its report to the apex court, had submitted its report favouring institution of a CBI probe for a detailed investigation, the former chief minister has sought to mobilise his supporters through the breakfast route to prove that he still enjoys support and clout among the legislators.
The breakfast organized by the former chief minister at his erstwhile official residence on Race Course Road, within walking distance of the Vidhana Soudha, on the last day of the current assembly session fuelled speculation on whether Yeddyurappa was making yet another determined bid to oust Sadananda Gowda and occupy the coveted post.
Though the Chief Minister as well as the State BJP President K S Eshwarappa, who have turned out to be the thorns in the flesh of Yeddyurappa and the virtual stumbling blocks against his ambitions, were conspicuous by their absence, as many as 65 to 70 of the ruling BJP MLAs and another 18 MLCs attended and enjoyed the lavish and sumptuous food laid out.
Yeddyurappa, however, sought to allay all speculation that the breakfast meeting at his residence had political overtones and clarified that no political discussions were held at the breakfast meeting.
''It was a routine affair. Normally, different ministers host lunch to legislators in the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha during the budget session. As no such arrangements were made during the current session, the breakfast meeting was organized. Instead of having it at Vidhana Soudha and give rise to rumour mongering, the breakfast was organized at the Race Course Road residence,” he explained.
''The budget session ended today and all legislators will go to their assembly constituencies. We will only meet again in next three months. The media should not give political colour to the breakfast meet,” he told reporters.
Yeddurappa said Gowda and Eshwarappa could not attend the meet as they were preoccupied. But Minister Balakrishna M Jarkiholi, who has been lobbying hard in favour of Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, attended the breakfast meeting at Yeddyurappa’s residence.
Asked if he was optimistic about the high command solving the leadership issue within a week, Yeddyurappa said he does not expect anything and the decision is left to them.
''I will abide by whatever decision the central leadership takes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kannada and Culture Minister Govinda M Karjol, who is considered one of the staunch loyalists of chief minister Sadananda Gowda, hosted a sumptuous north Karnataka style lunch to all ruling party ministers and legislators at his official residence.
Apart from north Karnataka style vegetarian cuisine, non-vegetarian items were also arranged.
Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a staunch Yeddyurappa loyalist, also said no political discussions were held during the breakfast meeting.
On whether Yeddyurappa’s supporters still hoped he would again become Chief Minister, Bommai said he would not comment on it as it has already been placed before the central leadership, which would take a suitable decision.
To a query, Bommai said no deadlines have been set for Yeddyurappa’s return as Chief Minister.
Answering a pointed question on whether the probe by the Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into illegal mining would be a stumbling block for Yeddyurappa’s return, Bommai said it is a court matter and lawyers are taking care of it.
Yeddyurappa had quit as Chief Minister in July last year after he was indicted by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.