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Support for Yeddyurappa wears thin, but die-hard loyalists likely to quit BJP soon

 
All political parties are gearing up for the Assembly polls that are fast approaching. They are busy holding rallies, padayatras and strategy sessions in a bid to woo voters.

But there appears to be an exception: The Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) led by former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is in no hurry. Or, at least, it appears so.

Reason: Yeddyurappa, who floated his regional outfit in December, is eagerly waiting for his so-called loyalists in the BJP to join his party.

Yeddyurappa is hoping against hope that his loyalists in the Jagadish Shettar Cabinet will give up their positions and strengthen his hands in building the new party.
But so far, a majority of them have not dropped any hint of joining the KJP, let alone quit the Cabinet.

Ditto with MLAs close to him. The term of the Jagadish Shettar government ends on
May 30.

Not much action

Except for the recent State office-bearers’ meeting, there is not much political activity in the KJP. Yeddyurappa has been touring the State all alone ever since the launch of the party on December 9 at Haveri.

Dwindling

At the same time, the KJP leader’s strength has been dwindling gradually - from 60 MLAs (including ministers) a couple of months ago to 21.

His one-time supporters are distancing themselves from him. Sunil Valyapure is the only MLA who quit his ministerial position to join Yeddyurappa’s party.

To stay put with BJP

V Somanna has already declared that he will remain in the BJP, while Raju Gouda has said he will not join the KJP.

However, Shobha Karandlaje is likely to join her mentor shortly.
The ministers are holding their cards close to their chests.

That they are all keeping their options open is evident as they have already defied the deadline set by Yeddyurappa to bring down the government twice – on January 4 and 14.

The KJP leader has become so meek that he has refused to fix any more deadlines.
A meeting of the KJP will be held on January 23 which, according to sources in the KJP, will bring curtains down on the Shettar government.

 A section of the MLAs including B P Harish, Karandlaje, Valyapure, Suresh Gowda Patil, Nehru Olekar and Basavaraj Patil Attur will resign in the first phase.