No leadership change in Karnataka at present: Gowda

New Delhi, Mar 22: Amid mounting pressure from BS Yeddyurapa for his reinstatement, Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda today met the BJP top brass, including Nitin Gadkari and LK Advani, and said he had been assured that there would be no leadership change. "I am specifically telling that the central leaders told me that at present there is no change of leadership or any other position in the party," Gowda told reporters after meeting the BJP central leaders here.

Asked if the party leadership had asked him to step down, he said, "That question does not arise." Gowda, who was accompanied by BJP state chief KS Eshwarappa, had called on Advani, Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi. He then had a meeting with party president Gadkari, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Dharmendra Pradhan.

On Yeddyurappa building pressure on the party for his reinstatement, the Chief Minister said, "I don't know whether Yeddyurappa has come over here or he had discussions with the central leaders. That we are not aware because Yeddyurappa was not there when we discussed the matter with the central leadership."

Yeddyurappa, who has stepped up his campaign for reinstatement ever since the Karnataka High Court set aside the Lokayukta order against him, is here to meet BJP leaders. Yeddyurappa claimed he has no demands but his mission was obvious in that he would be meeting senior party leaders LK Advani, Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley.

Gowda also said that central leadership had told him that they were aware of the political developments in Karnataka. "They have told me, they will resolve the problems and at present there is nothing more for discussions," he said.

PTI