Efforts to bring Yeddyurappa back to BJP gains pace

The move to bring back former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa into Bharatiya Janata Party is gathering pace with a section of the party strongly pushing for it on the ground that it would boost their prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Several BJP leaders, led by former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, on Thursday met state unit president Prahalad Joshi to discuss the homecoming of Yeddyurappa, heading the fledgling Karnataka Janatha Paksha.

Former ministers Aravind Limbavali, Umesh Katti and Basavaraj Bommai have presented their views to Joshi regarding this, party sources said.

In the May Assembly polls, Yeddyurappa secured 10 per cent vote share that ensured decimation of the ruling BJP, though it took the former party strongman nowhere.

"A section of state BJP leaders have presented their views on the matter and I am going to convey it to BJP President Rajnath Singh and party central leadership through Thawar Chand Gehlot (party in-charge of Karnataka). The next course of action will depend on the central leadership's decision," Joshi told reporters.

Joshi said the party's Core Committee on June 29 would take a decision on the return of Yeddyurappa to BJP. This was the first formal meeting of BJP leaders to discuss the return of Yeddyurappa to the saffron party.

These leaders had met at party MP D B Chandre Gowda's residence last week to discuss their plan of action to bring the Lingayat leader back into the party.