Karnataka BJP BS Yeddyurappa’s deadline to BJP ends today

With Karnataka BJP strongman BS Yeddyurappa remaining defiant after being rebuffed by BJP chief Nitin Gadkari in his bid to regain chief ministership, all eyes are on the former chief minister's birthday bash Monday as he is expected to take a "drastic" decision whether to continue in the party or not.

Yeddyurappa turns 69 today and has extended invitation to all his supporting legislators to attend a lunch hosted by him at his residence. He also has hosted a dinner party to mediapersons where he is expected to divulge his next political step.

Yeddyurappa will be visiting Siddaganga Mutt pontiff Shivakumar Swamy in Tumkur in the morning and offer worship at a nearby temple.

After attending a function orgainsed by Backward Class Forum near Railway Station, Yeddyurappa would head to his residence to hold a meeting with his supporters including legislators and MPs, sources close to him said.

Some BJP leaders are expecting Yeddyurappa to bid adieu to the BJP which he had built in the state over the years. Yet another section expects Yeddyurappa to wait for the outcome of March 3 core Committee meeting convened by BJP President Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi. The former Chief Minister has already said he and his followers would not attend the meeting.

Instead of attending the Delhi meeting, Yeddyurappa had said he would discuss the issues with his supporters on February 27 and thereafter convey the decision to the central leadership.  

BJP sources told that Yeddyurappa has to await acquittal in various cases against him before he can be considered for chief ministership or state party presidentship.

Nitin Gadkari: Modi has good potential to be Prime Minister

BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has got the potential to become the Prime Minister and that he is among the "five to six" contenders in the party for the country's top post.

Gadkari said he has already made it clear that the BJP has got a lot of potential leadership who is capable of becoming the Prime Minister after the next General elections due in 2014.

"Now, Modi is also one of the leaders, he has also got the potential for that. There are five to six leaders, and at the right time the party will decide who will be the prime ministerial candidate for 2014," he said.

Gadkari emphatically said "100 per cent" when asked whether the five to six leaders included Modi.

"Those five to six leaders also include Narendra bhai," he said.

Gadkari's statement came a day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) gave its final report on Gulberg Society attack during the 2002 Gujarat riots before a Ahmedabad court amid speculation that Modi may have got relief after he faced allegations of aiding and abetting communal clashes.

He remained non-committal on why Modi was not campaigning for the party in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh elections.

"Modi is the best person to answer why he had not joined the party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Modi is reportedly sore with the BJP leadership for making one of his rivals Sanjay Joshi as one of the election in-charges in Uttar Pradesh.

"First of all, from the national party we have already made a request to Narendraji that he should give some time to Uttar Pradesh and other states for elections.

"Now, he has to find out the dates for that. The matter is with him, he has to decide about it," Gadkari said.

"But I accept that Narendra bhai is a stalwart, a leader of the party and still we are expecting dates from him and if he will give his dates, we will manage".