The party leadership is trying to take all on board on the decision as there is a section of the party which is not sure on whether peace will prevail in the state after the change in leadership, since even Gowda was Yeddyurrappa's choice but was now being ousted by him.
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari met senior party leaders LK Advani here on Thursday to discuss the complex issue.
Party sources said Advani was not keen on choosing the third chief minister in this assembly and felt the party should go for fresh elections. Moreover, Advani is not inclined to have another nominee of Yeddyurappa as chief minister, since it is not certain whether the former CM will raise an issue against Shettar some months later
"We have left everything to the party leadership now. Their decision will be acceptable to us," Shettar, who holds the rural development portfolio, told reporters.
Sources said Gadkari has come around to the view that Shettar, a Yeddyurappa loyalist, should be the next chief minister.
The decision will have to be ratified by the BJP parliamentary board but most members are in agreement on the issue in view of the damage caused by threats from dissidents in the last four years.
Though the party had earlier indicated that the leadership change was expected to take place after the July 19 presidential poll, the sources said this has been advanced by a few days in view of the Karnataka legislature session commencing on July 16.
Sources said an announcement on June 9-10 is expected. However, there is still no clarity on whether a deputy CM would be appointed to placate the other factions.
The party's central leadership is not enthusiastic about appointing deputy CMs as there are many contenders, making the exercise an uphill task. However, in view of growing dissidence, the high command may appoint deputy chief ministers to keep the various factions in good humour.
WISHES IN ADVANCE
Everybody likes to worship the rising sun. There was a lot of hustle and bustle in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday as chief ministerial aspirant and rural development and panchayat raj minister Jagadish Shettar was in his chambers. Legislators and officials made a beeline to Shettar's office on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha to congratulate him well in advance.
MYSTERY AD BAFFLES ALL
Chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda seems to have some mysterious supporters. An advertisement in a vernacular daily on Thursday left many wondering. The ad names no persons or organizations. The ad, placed by "Pragnavantha Mathadararu" (sensible voters), has posed 10 questions to the BJP high command. Referring to the proposed change in leadership, it praises Sadananda Gowda and criticizes the BJP leadership and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Pranab still hopeful of Trinamool support
UPA Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, who visited Ahmedabad on Thursday to meet MLAs and MPs of parties having endorsed his name, rejected his rival P A Sangma’s demand for holding an open debate on the lines of countries like the US and France.
“There is no issue on which the debate can be held because the post of the President of India is that of a constitutional head and under the Indian Constitution. The President does not belong to any political party,” he told mediapersons.
He said that policies of the government were determined by the party in power and not the President under the Indian Constitution.
Asked if Trinamool Congress will support his candidature, Mukherjee said the TMC has not yet decided whom to support. “As the elections are scheduled on July 19 and there is still much time left for TMC to take a decision, I do hope the TMC leadership will definitely take a decision in my favour,” he said.
Replying to a question whether Congress should have made him the Prime Minister instead of giving him the Presidential nomination, he said he did not regret it. “What I have got is enough,” said the Congress veteran.
He refused to make any comment on Sangma approaching the Election Commission to seek rejection of his nomination under the Office of Profit Rule claiming Mukherjee was chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute when he filed the nomination.
Mukherjee, who represented Gujarat in Rajya Sabha for six years from 1981 to 1987, expressed his gratitude to Congress and NCP MLAs as also Congress Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs who had gathered at the state party headquarters here. He requested the non-UPA parties to support his candidature.
... contd.
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