Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is facing allegations of a land scam, on Sunday refused to step down from his post.
Yeddyurappa, who delayed a meeting with the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leaders in Delhi to hold consultations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Bengaluru, ruled out resigning from his post.
According to sources, the BJP top brass had sent feelers to the chief minister, urging him to step down, but Yeddyurappa has ruled out that option.
They said that the BJP high command at New Delhi is chalking out a plan to ease the CM out.
Sources in the BJP told rediff.com that the party would have to ensure that Yeddyurappa doesn't lead a rebellion following his ouster as CM.
The chief minister had earlier told the high command that if he is asked to step down, he would take down the government with him. Yeddyurappa was also planning to take all the ministers in his camp to New Delhi to urge the high command to change its decision. But he was advised to come alone to New Delhi and meet the party's top leaders.
Yeddyurappa ruled out reports that the BJP wanted to replace him. "I am the only person who can replace me," he told reporters in Bengaluru and claimed that he enjoyed the support of all the MLAs.
Yeddyurappa, who has survived two trust votes recently, has faced allegations of a land scam favouring his sons and relatives. He has since then ordered a judicial probe into the matter and his sons have returned the concerned land.
But the BJP leadership still wants him to step down as the land scam issue would weaken its moral stance on the issue of corruption and its campaign against the alleged murky deals of the United Progressive Alliance government.
The BJP leaders are aware of the fact Yeddyurappa helped the party form its first government in south India, and his ouster would affect the vote bank of the influential Lingayat community.
According to sources, the BJP's top brass would give two options to the beleaguered chief minister. He can either choose his successor and then step down, or resign now with the assurance that he will be reinstated if the probe results declare him to be innocent.
The BJP's top leadership and rebels in BJP want Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar to be the next CM. But Yeddyurappa may oppose this decision as he is apprehensive that Shettar may replace him as the prominent Lingayat leader in the state, said sources.
If Yeddyurappa agrees to step down, he would want Law Minister Suresh Kumar to take over as the CM, according to sources. Yeddyurappa feels that Kumar will not try to set up his own support base once he becomes the CM and would let go of the position when Yeddyurappa is reinstated.
Meanwhile, a CD showing Karnataka minister Janardhan Reddy trying to strike a deal to pull down the B S Yeddyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party government was released on Sunday.
The video shows Reddy having a conversation with one Akash Chopra, who is considered close to Governor H R Bharadwaj.
In the video, Reddy tells Chopra that he would pay Rs 5 crore if the latter could get the disqualification against him withdrawn by the governor. Reddy also promises that he would pay any amount if Chopra could pull down Yeddyurappa's government.
Reddy, reacting strongly to the CD, claimed that he was the one who got the video shot. He said the video was shot to expose the governor and to prove to everyone that Bharadwaj had touts who could carry out deals for him.
