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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday made it clear that it was not averse to Karnataka Janatha Party leader B S Yeddyurappa rejoining the outfit, which he quit recently, provided he approached it with a written request.

Sources said the BJP decision was aimed at scuttling any plans by the KJP leader to put conditions for his return.

“The party had not sent him (Yeddyurappa) out. He himself had quit. Hence, let the proposal to rejoin the party come from him. Then the party will take a decision,” BJP general secretary in charge of Karnataka Thawarchand Gehlot told reporters after the meeting of State BJP core committee.

He said the core committee members discussed the issue of the KJP leader’s return to the party. State party chief Pralhad Joshi raised the issue, saying that a section of the party’s leaders had approached him in this regard. But it was decided that the proposal should first come from Yeddyurappa.

Sadananda Gowda, who is leading the group to bring Yeddyurappa back, is learnt to have suggested that it would be better to take the opinion of party legislators on the issue. State BJP leaders are divided over getting the KJP leader back into the party fold. A majority of core-committee members are said to be against Yeddyurappa’s return.

The core committee’s decision was seen a minor victory to the group that is against Yeddyurappa’s return, because Yeddyurappa will not be in a position to place any condition for his re-entry if he himself makes the proposal. There are chances of Yeddyurappa placing demands if the party shows eagerness to re-induct him.
May boost prospects

The pro-Yeddyurappa group has the support of former ministers Basavaraj Bommai, Umesh Katti, Murgesh Nirani, Aravind Limbavali, D N Jeevaraj and former speaker K G Bopaiah, who are of the opinion that Yeddyurappa’s return may boost the BJP’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections next year. Asked if Yeddyurappa’s return would bring victory to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, Gehlot said, “You and we all feel that if we were together, the situation could have been better.”

Asked whether the party’s national election campaign committee chairman Narendra Modi is in favour of Yeddyurappa’s return, Gehlot said individual opinions are not important. If Yeddyurappa submits a proposal, the party parliamentary board will take an appropriate decision.

Sadananada Gowda said there was confusion among party workers. If the party fails to take a decision at the earliest, it will have a bearing on the election results next year. “I am neither batting nor bowling in favour of Yeddyurappa. I am not on anybody’s side. I am on the party’s side, and the party’s interest is most important for me,” he stated. Ananth Kumar, who is an archrival of Yeddyurappa, parried all questions on the issue. When contacted, KJP leader Dhananjay Kumar also declined to react.

It is in the interest of the party if a decision is taken on the issue at the earliest.
D V Sadananda Gowda

The way he (Yeddyurappa) decided to quit the party, he should take the decision on
returning too.
K S Eshwarappa

The party should respectfully urge him to come back to its fold. Is this a business where an application should be submitted?
D B Chandre Gowda