BJP clears Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa

Setting speculations at rest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday asked the scam- tainted Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to continue in office.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who had been empowered to decide the fate of the beleaguered CM, said Yeddyurappa would continue to be the Chief Minister, a move by the party apparently giving him a clean chit from the corruption charge.

“After consultations with senior party leaders and state leaders, the party has decided to continue with B S Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka,” a BJP statement, singed by Nitin Gadkari, said.

Party spokesperson Prakash Javedekar said the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Karnataka government would go into the allegations of land allotment against him.

Yeddyurappa said he was clean and had blessings of party’s central leaders like L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

He reiterated that he was never asked to resign.

This was Yeddyurappa’s third political victory in recent time after 19 legislators revolted against him for change of guard in Maharashtra.