Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 30: Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday claimed that chief minister B S Yediyurappa will be removed from his post once the Bihar elections conclude. Siddaramaiah was speaking to a local television channel when he made the statement.

“I have accurate information that Yediyurappa will not remain the chief minister after the Bihar elections,” Siddaramaiah said. When asked how accurate his claims were, the Congress leader said, “I have accurate information from New Delhi that he will not remain the chief minister after Bihar elections. I do not know if the BJP government will complete its term after Yediyurappa is made to resign. In case the government cannot continue, we are ready to fight elections,” Siddaramaiah said.

This is not the first time Siddaramaiah has made such a statement. On October 20, BJP MLA from Vijayapura, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, had also made a statement saying that Yediyurappa will not be CM for long and that a new candidate from north Karnataka would replace him. Following this, Siddaramaiah backed Yatnal's statement and told the media that he had 'already called this development a year ago'. “Many MLAs are unhappy with Yediyurappa as funds have not been allocated for their constituencies and it is true that Yediyurappa will not remain CM for long,” Siddaramaiah had said.

Siddaramaiah's statement on Thursday comes in the wake of massive speculation that Yediyurappa would be asked to step down from his post to make way for his successor. Several BJP leaders who were unhappy about being sidelined had met at a hotel in Hubballi to discuss the potential candidate for the Belagavi bye-polls on Wednesday. Reports have been abuzz that the dissenting leaders also discussed the removal of Yediyurappa as the CM.

Yediyurappa is 78-years old and unlike a general rule in the BJP where leaders above 75 years take on an advisory role, Yediyurappa has been allowed to become the CM given his strong control over the BJP's vote bank in Karnataka. It is believed that the party does not wish to have a repeat of 2013 when Yediyurappa broke away and formed his own party leading to a disastrous situation for BJP in Karnataka.

"There are leaders who want Yediyurappa to resign and make way for his successor. Some leaders believe that if a successor is appointed before he quits, it could help this person establish themselves as the leader of the party from now on," the source said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders have firmly discarded these claims. BJP MP Pralhad Joshi on Monday had said that the high command wants the government to complete its term in Karnataka.