A day after B.S. Yediyurappa’s resignation as Chief Minister of Karnataka, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) convened a meeting of its Legislature Party (LP) at a private hotel in Bengaluru on July 27 at 7 P.M. Arun Singh, in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, and central observers are said to be on their way to Bengaluru from New Delhi. The meeting is expected to be the platform for the selection of the new leader.
BJP's Parliamentary Board has appointed Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy as central observers for selection of the new leader in the BJP LP meeting, said Arun Singh in a statement.
The name of the next chief minister of Karnataka has been a closely guarded secret, with several State leaders claiming to be ‘clueless’.
“The arrival of central observers and convening of the LP meeting only means that the party high command has already made its choice. They will consult the MLAs in Karnataka, and the new leader may be elected on July 27 evening or in another meeting on July 28,” a senior leader said.
BJP central leadership silent on BSY after his exit
The party is keen to finish the process at the earliest and have a replacement for Mr. Yediyurappa in place by the weekend, a source said.
Shivamogga MP and Mr. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Raghavendra told mediapersons that the next Chief Minister of Karnataka will be a surprise choice like the ones the party made in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, adding to more suspense within party circles and the public alike.
