Although there are some big names doing the rounds including that of Ananth Kumar, Jagadeesh Shettar and KS Eshwarappa – the three names considered to be the dark horses are from the coastal districts.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP DV Sadananda Gowda appears to have grabbed the pole position among the three local contenders with Shobha Karandlaje, also from Puthur, and Dr. V.S. Acharya waiting in the wings.
The last chief minister to emerge from the coastal belt was Veerappa Moily in 1992-94, who had to demit office after JDS emerged victorious in the subsequent Assembly elections, leading to the installation of HD Devegowda's government.
With BS Yeddyurappa continuing his bargaining exercise with the party high command the probability of former Mangalore MP Sadananda Gowda becoming the next chief minister has increased even as the BJP legislative party is scheduled to meet later in the day to elect the new leader.
Yeddyurappa appeared to have given in when he sent off the resignation letter to Nitin Gadkar, the BJP national president on Thursday night, but the conditions laid down by the Lingayat strongman has become a big headache for the party.
He has insisted that he would resign only on 31st of July and reminded the high command once again that he had toiled hard to bring the party to power in Karnataka over the last 30 years. He has also held a meeting of MLAs and MPs in Bangalore at his residence early on Friday.
Though the names of Jagadish Shettar, KS Eshwarappa, Ananth Kumar and Shobha Karandlaje are doing the rounds, the tainted chief minister is adamant that he should be given the right to choose his successor, given the long legal battle the Shikaripur MLA is likely to face once he demit s office in the wake of sever indictment by the Lokayukta over the issue of illegal mining.
It is also learn that giving the mantle to heavyweights like Shettar, Eshwarappa and Ananth Kumar would be a risky exercise because of his ongoing political rivalry with all the three leaders.
By hoisting Sadananda Gowda, the Chikmagalur-Udupi MP, Yeddyurappa wants to keep the remote control of the government with him and also ensure that he remains the unquestioned leader of the Lingayat community.
Another major condition laid down by Yeddyurappa appears to be that he be made the State president of the party. Although, the party highcommand is not averse to such an idea, a section of the party high command and also the RSS, believes that making the tainted chief minister the face of the party in Karnataka will sully the image of the party when elections are just a couple of years away.
Making Yeddyurappa the party president would also be a risky proportion for the party in the event of him being dragged to court and prosecuted by the Lokayukta over the mining report.
The high command will also have to face an embarrassing situation in the event of him being made the party president, with Congress likely to go for the jugular questioning the moral right of the BJP to talk about corruption.
The chances of Sandananda Gowda emerging as the surprise candidate has also brightened by the fact that he had been summoned by the high command, who held wide-ranging discussions during his stay in Delhi.
Interestingly, Mr Gowda also was closeted at chief minister's residence on Friday morning for a couple of hours giving credence to the claim that he is Yeddyurappa's candidate for the coveted post.
However, it is also speculated in some quarters that he is trying to hoist Gowda as the candidate to pave the way for Shobha Karandlaje to be made the chief minister in the event of a strong opposition emerging from the party legislators that the coveted position must go to a legislator and not an MP. The proximity of Shobha to the beleagured cheif minister is well documented and the lone woman minister in the cabinet had conducted a special pooja at Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore and had climbed the thousand-odd steps bare-footed even as Yeddyurappa was facing the biggest crisis of his life.
Emerging from the meeting with Yeddyurappa, Gowda refused to talk to the media, but has already maintained that he would happily take up any responsibility the high command gives him.
Yeddyurappa's strong preference towards Sadananda Gowda also stems from the fact that he belongs to the Vokkaliga community and this would help him take on the mighty H.D. Kumaraswamy and
However, Gowda does not have the pristine image that the BJP national executive is being led to believe by his supporters. Gowda allegedly encroached upon 20 acres of forest land in Sullia taluk, Mangalore violating several laws in the process. A complaint was filed with the Loyayukta.
Another candidate from the Mangalore-Udupi region, who could be catapulted to the top job is Dr. V. S. Acharya. A seasoned politician, Acharya has been a veteran of sorts and considered to the RSS representative in the government.
He also has a clout in the high command and the party old guards including Advani and Joshi would back him if the party decides to go for a candidate with a clean image. Making Acharya, a Brahimin, the chief minister will also be seen as the party acknowledging the unflinching loyalty shown by the upper castes to the saffron party over the last few decades.
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