After Narendra Modi was anointed the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has moved closer to his former party, the BJP.
While, Yeddyurappa would certainly want to enter into a pre-poll alliance with the BJP for the 2014 elections, such a tie-up may have to wait till the Assembly elections in five states are over. Yeddyurappa had publicly hailed Modi’s candidature and shown his interest to return to BJP or at least forge an alliance with it.
According to sources, though talks were on for possible alliance of Yeddyurappa-led KJP, a decision will be taken only after Assembly poll results from states are out. “The taint is yet to go away. It may give other parties a chance to hit out at the BJP, if Yeddyurappa is inducted back into the party at this moment. We will see how the elections scenario turns out, before the central leadership takes a final call on bringing him back,” a BJP leader said.
Yeddyurappa had to resign as Karnataka Chief Minister after he was indicted in a graft case by the Lokayukta. Senior BJP leader L K Advani was opposed to Yeddyurappa continuing in the party because of corruption charges. The Lingayat strongman had quit BJP in December last and floated his own party. As he fought elections separately, the BJP was routed out of power in Karnataka.
As the BJP is trying to get more allies and bring back leaders to boost chances for Modi, the Lingayat strongman has strong chances of returning to the fold. “During the last Karnataka elections, the voting share of BJP, KJP and Sriramulu faction was the same as the original held by the BJP when it won the elections in 2008,” the leader said. The southern state is important for the party as it won 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the 2009 elections.
Sources said Yeddyurappa loyalist and suspended BJP leader Lehar Singh is already in Delhi talking to BJP leaders to get the response of central leadership. Lehar met senior leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday to clarify the positions taken by both the parties and the way forward before Yeddyurappa makes any announcement ahead of his party’s meeting in Bengaluru.
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