Sources close to Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda say that had he reached Tirupati before Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa called, he would still have his post
Sources close to Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda say that had he reached Tirupati before Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa called, he would still have his post
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Gowda, who had come under the media's and the court's wrath in the wake of irregularities in recruitments for medical colleges, resigned Saturday night, after receiving a call from Chief Minister Yeddyurappa on his way to Tirupati.
"We had to cover another two hours' drive to each Tirupati, when the call came at around 9 pm," said the source who accompanied Gowda to Tirupati.
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An astrologer had supposedly advised Ramachandra Gowda to visit Tirupati before the CM left for China yesterday, so that he would miss the axe. However, Gowda got the message when he was near the last town of Karnataka on the Andhra border
"We turned back to Bangalore. Gowda met the chief minister at 11 pm, and was urged to resign."
In the wake of mounting pressure on the CM over his resignation, it is believed that an astrologer had advised him to visit Tirupati to pay obeisance to lord Venkateswara before Yeddyurappa left for China yesterday, so that he would miss the axe. But Gowda got the message when he was near Mulbagal, last town of Karnataka on Andhra border.
The source said Gowda vehemently resisted when the CM sought his resignation, but gave in when Yeddyurappa threatened to dismiss him.
"The idea was that the CM was leaving for a five-day tour to China and if Gowda had managed to avoid the hour of crisis, the political situation would have changed when he returned, as it would have been the time for the by polls results for Kadur and Gulbarga (South)," added the source.
While Kadur and Gulbarga (South) were going for by polls, Yeddyurappa boarded a flight for Beijing to attend World Economic Forum.
"It was not exactly an astrological advice that I have given to Gowda," said a high profile astrologer, on whose advice Gowda had followed to embark on the pilgrimage.
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"It was more of a political suggestion while his stars were indicating the loss of power. I was of the opinion that the divine intervention could have helped him," he added.
Ramachandra Gowda, who met the governor HR Bharadwaj after handing over his resignation, said, "I resigned to avoid embarrassment.u00a0The CM and I have no regrets, and we are here to serve the party."
Political observers are opining Gowda had only paved way for Yeddyurappa's good friend Shobha Karandlaje, who is looking for a re-entry to the cabinet.
"Yeddyurappa was struggling to induct Shobha back in the cabinet and now it will be easier for him to argue her case, because the Vokkaliga quota is vacant," said a senior BJP leader, while KS Eswarappa, party state president, said it was chief minister's prerogative to take anyone into the cabinet and the party would not interfere.
However, more MLAs from the Vokkaliga community, including CT Ravi and Shankaralinge Gowda are eying the cabinet berth, so the CM maybe on a tightrope here.
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