CBI probe endgame for Yeddyurappa?

BANGALORE: “Abhimanyu only knew how to enter the Chakravyuha (labyrinth). But, I know how to enter and come out of it too,” said former CM B S Yeddyurappa immediately after the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe against him. But, he knows better than anybody that it is easier said than done. Even if one thinks that he would come out of the legal web unscathed, it will be too late to revive his political career which has been on the downslide ever since he stepped down from the CM’s post after being indicted in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.Clearly, the Supreme Court verdict has crashed Yeddyurappa’s hopes of returning as the CM once for all, for which he was frantically trying ever since his release from jail in October last.    “Everybody knows how CBI cases are dragged for years. So one can say it is the end of the road (political) for Yeddyurappa,” said a MLA who is in the inner circle of Yedyurappa camp.   Not only this, the verdict could even put brakes on his “oust Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda” campaign besides reducing his bargaining capacity with the party high command. But it all depends on how he will keep his flock of 60 odd MLAs and two-third MPs intact.   Chances of Yeddyurappa getting the support he used to get till now appears bleak. Already, there are reports that a few MLAs of his camp have switched sides.   Realising that he stands no chance of coming back, Yeddyurappa is now planning to push a Lingayat MLA (rumours have it that he is proposing RDPR minister Jagadish Shettar) for the CM’s post while demanding Gowda’s ouster. He strongly feels that the high command would not neglect the Lingayat community, which has been the party’s major vote-bank in Karnataka for many years now. The fact that he has more enemies than friends among party bosses in Delhi may result in rejection of this option too.   The Supreme Court verdict, though, has given a big relief for the CM and state BJP president K S Eshwarappa who were at the receiving ends of Yeddyurappa and his supporters. Gowda might even drop a few ministers of Yeddyurappa camp. But it depends on high command.