Sadananda Gowda to resign as Karnataka Chief Minister?: Decision at 6 pm - Live Updates

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core group which met on Saturday in a bid to resolve the leadership crisis in Karnataka, has decided to replace Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda with Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar, the party sources said.

Addressing a press conference soon after the core group meet, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Sadananda Gowda will meet senior party leaders at 6:00 pm today. The final decision over the issue will be taken thereafter.”

Meanwhile, the party sources claimed that the party is set to change the Karnataka chief minister.

Karnataka crisis

The BJP in Karnataka is facing serious crisis with the former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa pressurizing the high command to replace Sadanand Gowda with Jagdish Shettar as chief minister.

A senior BJP leader from the state said, “A decision from the high command in this direction is likely to be conveyed within a week. We have apprised the party high command about the situation in Karnataka. Now it is upto the high command to take a decision.”
Sources said BJP President Nitin 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, the highest decision making body of the party, but most members are in agreement on the issue in view of the damage caused by constant 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 Assembly session commencing on July 16.

Leaders divided

Sources said BJP Parliamentary Party leader L K Advani is not very keen on choosing the third Chief Minister in this Assembly and feels the party should go for fresh elections.

Moreover, Advani is not inclined to have another nominee of Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister. Corruption charges against Yeddyurappa had dented the impact of Advani’s yatra against graft and blackmoney.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and party general secretary Ananth Kumar are also not in agreement with making a Yeddyurappa loyalist the Chief Minister but they may not press the matter further.

Looking at past examples, Gadkari is likely to prevail over the Parliamentary board and have his way by making Shettar the Chief Minister, sources said. Other members of the Board support his view.

Sources said an announcement is expected on July 9-10. However, there is still no clarity on whether a Deputy Chief Minister would be appointed to placate the other factions.