Not at all: K'taka CM on being asked if he has resigned amid political crisis

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who is in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda and senior Union ministers, will not be stepping down from his position nor has he been asked to, said a person close to the CM.

The CM also told media persons that he met the PM to discuss development projects and the reports of his stepping down were rumours.

The Karnataka chief minister arrived in the capital late last evening and has since met Prime Minister Modi and Nadda. According to the person quoted above, the chief minister discussed various development projects related to the state with the senior leadership.

“He told reporters on record that he will be back in the capital in the first week of August with a longer wish list for the state,” the person said.

There has been speculation that the chief minister is in the capital to discuss the names for a possible cabinet expansion in the state.

Following his meeting with the PM on Friday, he tweeted, “Called on Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in New Delhi today. Had a fruitful discussion on various development projects of the state.”

Speculations of Yediyurappa’s possible removal have been making the rounds amid reports of resentment among BJP MLAs in Karnataka against the 78-year-old Lingayat leader.

Last month, several party MLAs and ministers demanded that Yediyurappa step down as chief minister. State tourism minister CP Yogeeshwara had said that Yediyurappa’s son has been running a parallel government in Karnataka.

Yediyurappa, however, has been rejecting the allegations as rumours and had said that he would resign the day party high command asks him to quit.