While Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has made it clear that he would not step down from his post, a discussion is already on about who is going to replace him. The discussion has emerged in the wake of the illegal mining report which names Yeddyurappa.
The names of Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, Transport Minister R Ashok and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar are doing the rounds.
A source said that to the party high command, Shobha appears to be the ideal candidate, since she has the blessings of Yeddyurappa. At a recent meeting in Hubli, Yeddyurappa had said that if at all he is to be replaced, then Shobha should succeed him.
However, Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Ananth Kumar who had sensed such a sentiment stayed away from the meeting indicating that he did not agree with others' choice of candidate, the source added.
The source said that R Ashok was also opposed to Shobha's candidature. His argument was that both he and Shobha come from the very powerful Vokkaliga community, and since he is the senior of the two, he should not be overlooked.
However, the Ananth Kumar camp is opposed to both ideas. They are of the opinion that Shettar should be made CM, and state party chief K S Eshwarappa the deputy CM. However Yeddyurappa is opposed to both.
Caste plays a very major factor in Karnataka politics. The BJP has come to power largely on the support of Lingayat votes, and replacing Yeddyurappa may prove costly for the party.
The source added that Yeddyurappa said that if another Lingayat does not replace him, he will have to remain the chief minister.
The situation has put the high command in a fix. This is because when the monsoon session of Parliament starts on August 1 and the BJP will be defenceless if Yeddyurappa is not replaced.
On the other hand, replacing him without his consent would mean that they would be breaking the party in Karnataka, which is majorly controlled by Yeddyurappa.
The source said that the party high command would try and pacify the other group to go ahead with Shobha's candidature. In this scenario, then Yeddyurappa will not only keep the party united but will also protect the Lingayat vote bank for the BJP.
Moreover, the high command would also be looking to silence the opposition in Karnataka, as well as Governor H R Bhardwaj, both of who have been gunning for Yeddyurappa's head for a long time.
Moreover, once the Lokayukta report is out, then matters could just get out of control. They can't even blame the Congress, since the Lokayukta just clarified that the names S M Krishna and Dharam Singh don't find a mention, since the report doesn't deal with the period when they were chief ministers of Karnataka.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh angle also comes into play here. The source added that while the RSS would prefer Minister of Urban Development Suresh Kumar (who is a Brahmin) as the CM, he will not be able to do anything for the vote bank, since the Brahmins are in minority when compared with the vote banks of the Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
However as a compromise they may agree to Shobha's candidature.
