However, negotiations with his party's central leadership seem to be working. Mr Yeddyurappa has reportedly promised that his camp will show up at work today, where DV Sadananda Gowda, the current chief minister, is scheduled to present the budget. Mr Gowda had been hand-picked by Mr Yeddyurappa in July last year when he was forced to quit office on corruption charges. Last week, a court dismissed those charges, triggering Mr Yeddyurappa's aggressive campaign to return to office.
Mr Yeddyurappa's camp has indicating that Mr Gowda will be allowed to present the budget, but it is important that the party presents a united front in the Assembly.
On Monday, BJP president Nitin Gadkari requested Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient and "not to do anything that will hurt the BJP." In addition to the rebel leader's ability to split the party, the dispute has caste overtones as well. Mr Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, chose a Vokkaliga to replace him. Both are dominant communities in the state - and the BJP is in a bind now in case they have alienated the Lingayat vote bank. Would one time Yeddyurappa foe turned ally, Jagadish Shettar, another Lingayat, be a potential Chief Ministerial choice that would satisfy Yeddyurappa if he is given the chair himself? And how would the Vokkaliga community react to a Chief Minister from their community being dumped on the demands of the volatile Mr Yeddyurappa? Elections to the state assembly are due in 2013.
Mr Yeddyurappa's group, in a further act of defiance, even put forward a candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, BJ Puttaswamy. Mr Puttaswamy was promptly suspended from the party for filing his nomination -and notices were issued to the 10 MLAs who nominated him.
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