Karnataka BJP leaders meet Rajnath, ask for return of Yeddyurappa

He pointed out that the division of anti-Congress votes had helped the Congress to win the assembly polls. “We have requested him (Rajnath Singh) to start the process of re-inducting Yeddyurappa,” Joshi said.

Party sources said, in case Yeddyurappa is reinducted, it will be merger of his party KJP with BJP.  BJP leaders said that the state leadership had made a similar request during party's conclave in Mumbai and the centre leadership has informed the state leadership that the issue can be considered only after the conclusion of assembly polls in five states.

Party sources further said that KJP's demand for being an ally of NDA cannot be agreed, as BJP's state leadership made it clear that they were not ready to accept the demand of KJP as a NDA partner.

Yeddyurappa, who quit the chief ministership in July 2011 over mining bribery charges, quit BJP last year and launched KJP. His party, however, suffered a drubbing in the Karnataka assembly elections and won only six seats.