BS Yeddyurappa reaches New Delhi on BJP top brass summons

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Monday reached New Delhi in response to summons from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership as speculations were rife that he may be asked to step down over the alleged land scams.

Yeddyurappa, who had defied summons from the BJP top brass to fly over to the national capital for discussions on the matter on Sunday, flew to New Delhi from Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh after participating in the birthday celebrations of Sri Satya Sai Baba, reports said.

He accompanied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a special flight to the national capital.

Yeddyurappa is expected to meet BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, who is likely to communicate the formal decision of the central leadership.

The chief minister has been refuting all reports of his probable resignation and claimed of absolute confidence of the party’s central leaders.

According to reports, BJP top leaders are trying to convince Yeddyurappa to quit from his political post and are already working on his replacement.

State law minister Suresh Kumar is one of the front runners for Yeddyurappa?s replacement.

Meanwhile, party sources said BJP is worried over the Karnataka CM?s refusal to step down.

The BJP had over the last weekend put off any decision on Yeddyurappa?s fate.

Faced with allegation of wrongful allotment of government to his family members, the cornered chief minister had his son BY Raghavendra (a BJP MP), daughter Umadevi and two other family members surrender their plots.