Bangalore: Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's camp here are in an upbeat mood following the reported statement of party president Rajnath Singh at the BJP conclave in Lucknow on Sunday that it would be Mr. Yediyurappa who would head the coalition Government in Karnataka after the end of the term of the Janata Dal (Secular).

Sources in the BJP told The Hindu that during the course of his observations on the state of affairs in several of the States where the BJP is in power, Mr. Singh, with reference to Karnataka, "made it clear that it would be Mr Yediyurappa who would head the Government."

This remark is stated to have been made in the presence of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani.

The coalition Government of the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) is presently headed by the Janata Dal (Secular) with H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister. Under the terms of agreement, the Janata Dal (Secular) has to make way for the BJP to head the Government at the end of 20 months. In other words, the BJP would head the Government from October next. With Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Yediyurappa being in the forefront when the understanding between the two parties was arrived at, Mr. Yediyurappa has been credited by the BJP leadership for forging the understanding, which enabled the party to be a part of a Government for the first time in south India.

It was Mr. Yediyurappa and the incumbent Minister for Small Savings and Lotteries Ramachandra Gowda who had coaxed Mr. Kumaraswamy to walk out of the coalition Government which the Janata Dal (Secular) had formed with the Congress. This had resulted in the suspension of Mr. Kumaraswamy and 39 other MLAs from the Janata Dal (Secular).

It is also common knowledge that Mr. Yediyurappa and the former Union Minister and party national general secretary Ananth Kumar do not see eye to eye. About a fortnight ago, the two of them had sought to establish their supremacy in the election of the State president of the BJP and Mr. Yediyurappa had his way in securing the post in favour of D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

As a part of the truce worked out by the central leadership, several of the close associates of Mr. Ananth Kumar would be co-opted as members of the State council and the national council of the party.

Ministers away

After the long absence of Ministers from Bangalore during the byelection to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency held recently, most Ministers of the State are again out of Bangalore.

While the Deputy Chief Minister and 10 other ministers of the BJP along with 45 legislators are in Lucknow to attend the national council meeting, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M.P. Prakash apart from nine other ministers and nearly 22 legislators have left for New Delhi to attend the national council meeting of the Janata Dal (Secular).

The Janata Dal (Secular) is all set to revoke the suspension served on Mr. Kumaraswamy and 39 other legislators, apart from expressing solidarity in the leadership of the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda.

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