Rajnath coming, Yeddyurappa invite in hand

Bangalore: It may not be weeks, but days, insiders said, before a formal invitation is extended to former BJP chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, to rejoin the mother party, a year after he quit and launched the breakaway KJP. 

BSY, who has six legislators and a proven ten per cent vote share was critical in the BJP's loss of nearly 70 seats when the Ling­ayat vote was spl­it in recent Assembly elections. Of 118 legislators, only 30 were re-elected.

The BJP lags behind the Congress in at least 26 parliamentary seats, and is strong only in Chikkodi and Belgaum.

BJP national president Rajnath Singh who met one on one with BSY in Shimoga last week arrives in Bangalore Thursday night.

BJP, RSS agree on BSY comeback

To ensure an honourable homecoming for former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, BJP core committee members will meet him in a day or two to extend a formal invitation to the Lingayat strongman to rejoin the party.

Sources in the state unit told this newspaper that BJP top leaders are preparing the stage for the reentry of Yeddyurappa who quit the party a year ago and launched his own outfit, the KJP. Top BJP leaders held a day long meeting and also met RSS functionaries to discuss his return.

Party national president Rajnath Singh will be arriving in BangaloreThursday night to attend a one-day special state executive meeting scheduled for Friday. This has led to hectic political activity in the state unit.

Before meeting Yeddyurappa, BJP core committee leaders will hold discussions with Rajnath Singh on the formalities for the reinduction of the KJP chief. Sources close to the former CM confirmed that he wanted to return with honour.

The exact date for rejoining the party would be known only after the central or state leadership formally invites him, sources said quoting Yeddyurappa.

These sources also said Mr Yeddyurappa has no plans to go to Delhi to meet the central leadership but did not rule it out if a central emissary meets him. There is a possibility of Rajnath Singh making an indirect reference to Yeddyurappa’s homecoming at the BJP state executive meeting on Friday.

Prominent BJP leaders including party national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar held a close door meeting with senior RSS functionaries at ‘Keshava Krupa’, the RSS office.

It is learnt that RSS leaders suggested that Yeddyurappa be reinducted at the earliest with Lok Sabha elections fast approaching.

The majority of party senior functionaries are in a jubilant mood after the central leadership gave the nod for his return.
B.S.Yed­dyurappa held a closed door meeting with his loyalists at his Dollars colony residence Thursday evening, Sources said that out of six KJP MLAs, five except Aland MLA B.R. Patil are in favor of the merger.

Yeddyurappa has reached out to Bidar MLA Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli at the last moment and pacified him. If one MLA refuses to join BJP and requests the Speaker for a separate chair, the Speaker can accede or reject his request. If he decides to supports the Congress, he can become an associate member of the party.