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BJP crisis: Jaitley fails to pacify angry Yeddyurappa

November 10, 2012 23:52 IST

A last-ditch attempt to convince disgruntled Bharatiya Janata Party leader B S Yeddyurappa, by senior leader Arun Jaitley, has failed.

Jaitley, who arrived in Bengaluru late on Saturday, held talks with the former Karnataka chief minister.

According to sources, Jaitley had sought to know what Yeddyurappa's conditions were to remain in the BJP. 

Yeddyurappa put forth three demands. He wanted the party top brass to remove Nitin Gadkari as the party chief, make him the state's next chief ministerial candidate and immediately appoint him as the state party president.

Jaitley was unable to give Yeddyurappa any guarantee about any of the demands.

The meeting was held at the residence of a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Bengaluru.

Yeddyurappa has decided to float his own party – the Karanataka Janata Party -- on December 9.

According to sources, he had no plans to resolve his issues with the party even before meeting Jaitley.

His supporters pointed out that it was too late to make Yeddyurappa change his mind, as the BJP's senior leaders had avoided holding discussions with him till the last minute.

Vicky Nanjappa