Yeddyurappa planning to launch new Karnataka Janata Party?

Bangalore, Jul 31: With the differences between the Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and the BJP top brass out in the open, there are rumours doing the rounds that the scam-tainted Yeddyurappa might float his own new regional party in the next six months.

With the hectic parleys on in the state for choosing the next Chief Minister, top BJP leaders who are in the state are engaged in frantic discussions so that the choice can be made today (Jul 31). With Yeddyurappa also agreeing to step down, the BJP has to face a fresh set of troubles that BSY is causing. Seeing it as settling for second best, BSY is pressurizing party high command to bestow upon him the role of party chief in the state.

But the threat of a split and a formation of a new party is also very strong in the BSY camp that only seem to be swelling in support over time. The prime reason of forming a new party could be to protect the interests of the Lingayat community, the support of which catapulted BSY to victory in the state and making him the CM. With the Vokkaliga community supported by the JD(S), the Lingayats too want to safeguard their position in the state.

The fact that none of the Lingayat CM's could complete their term in office accelerates the need to form a new party. A source has been quoted as saying, "I think the party leadership is pushing Mr Yeddyurappa to make an announcement if the high command refuses to give in to any of his demands. A formal announcement of forming a new regional party may come in the next six months".

With the BJP central leadership's much-awaited decision on Sunday (Jul 31) the triggering point for the launch of the new party, Yeddyurappa is on a wait-and-watch mode to ascertain if his demands are met. The unnamed source also revealed, "Mr Yeddyurappa, who has mastered the art of hitting many birds with one stone, has reportedly approached a Bidar-based business magnate"s family which is also involved in highway construction project in the state, for registration of a new political outfit with the Election Commission of India on his behalf." Though the name of the party has not been finalized yet, sources reveal that the name most likely could be Karnataka Janata Party.

There are also media reports that suggest that Yeddyurappa might kickstart his campaigning after visiting all Veerashaiva matts. Hi family members are also understood to be backing the idea. The source added, "A section in the camp is considering the probability of stringent legal action like arrest of Mr Yeddyurappa in the mining case and has suggested that he should go slow as, in such a scenario, floating a regional party would become a liability. Therefore, a formal announcement may come only after at least six months."

With strong rumours doing the rounds, Yeddyurappa is also believed to have appointed people to float a new party. A Janata Parivar leader has been quoted as saying, "I do not know when they would float a party, but Mr Yeddyurappa seems to in a hurry. As his pointsmens, water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai, Industries minister Murugesh R. Nirani and Housing minister V. Somanna have started eliciting opinion".

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