BS Yediyurappa resigns as CM, says will remain active in Karnataka politics

After months of speculation about over his exit B S Yediyurappa on Monday stepped down as the Chief Minister of Karnataka coinciding with his government completing two years in officeHe termed these two years as trial by fire pointing out that he had to run the administration without cabinet in the initial days followed by devastating floods and the challenge of Covid19 management among other issuesThe 78yearold BJP veteran who submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan here said he quit voluntarilyI had decided to resign two months ago as we complete two years of our government today I thought it was apt to resign now and have submitted the resignation to the Governor and he has accepted it Yediyurappa told reporters emerging from the Raj BhavanAn official notification from the Governors office said Gehlot has accepted Yediyurappas resignation and has dissolved the Council of Ministers headed by him with immediate effectThanking the party leaders and the people for giving him an opportunity to serve the state he said he had no pressure from the partys central leadership in Delhi and has quit on his own voluntarily to make way for others to serve as the Chief MinisterI will not make any proposal on who should be the next Chief Minister it is left for the high command to decide Whomever they choose I will cooperate and work withI dont want to take any names he said in response to a questionMondays developments now shift the focus to the BJP veterans successor who could lead the partyled government for its remainder of term till 2023Also Read Rains MumbaiBengaluru highway shut for traffic for 3rd day around 2000 Karnatakabound vehicles strandedAmong the names that have been doing the rounds as the probable successor to Yediyurappa are that of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi its national organising secretary B L Santhosh and state Assembly Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde KageriThe names of Home Minister Basavaraj S Bommai Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Deputy CM C N Ashwath Narayan have also been doing the roundsIndustries Minister Jagadish Shettar who has earlier served as the Chief Ministeris also seen as a contenderMining Minister Murugesh Nirani and MLA Arvind Bellad also seem to be in contentionMeanwhile the Governors office said Yediyurappa shall continue to function as Chief Minister till alternate arrangements are madeConsidered the architect of the first ever BJP government to the south of Vindhyas Yediyurappa had headed the state four timesAsserting that he will hundred per cent continue in politics and work for bringing BJP back to power from tomorrow itself the Lingayat strong man said there is no question of political retirement for any reason Im with the karyakartas and the peopleParty has nurtured me to this height most probably no other politician in the country has got the privileges that I have gotResponding to a question whether he will accept if there is an offer to make him the Governor he said Atal Bihari Vajpayee had offered me to become the central Minister when he was the PM I had said noThere is no question of becoming Governor I will work to strengthen the organisation in Karnataka I have not asked for any position nor will accept itYediyurappa who has played an instrumental role in building the BJP in Karnataka had served as its state President Member of Parliament MLA and Deputy Chief MinisterEarlier in the day speaking at an event organised to mark his governments two years in office at Vidhana Soudha the seat of state legislature and secretariat here Yediyurappa had announced his decision to step down as his voice choked and he turned emotionalNot out of grief but with happiness he said as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda for giving him an opportunity to serve as Chief Minister for two years despite completing 75 years of ageThere is an unwritten rule in the BJP of keeping out those above 75 years from elected officesDuring the speech Yediyurappa termed his tenure for two years as trial by fire recalling that he had to run the administration without cabinet in the initial days followed by devastating floods and the COVID19 management among other issuesThanking the people of Shikaripura constituency for electing him to assembly for seven terms Yediyurappa while speaking to mediapersons later said no one in BJP was given the opportunity to hold any position after 75 years but that he was allowed to become CM despite crossing that age bar Am humbled and sincerely thank the people of the state for giving me the opportunity to serve them he tweetedAsked about the future of those who had defected from CongressJDS and are now Ministers as they had helped BJP to come to power he said all are together with usI am confident that the next chief minister will also cooperate with those who helped in forming this government All will work togetherThis story has 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