Yeddyurappa resigns as Karnataka CM; BJP to choose successor tomorrow

BS Yeddyurappa, Baharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister in a southern Indian state, resigned after the lokayukta indicted him for illegal mining.

Yeddyurappa on Thursday sent his resignation to BJP president Nitin Gadkari after the party asked him to step down "immediately".

BJP will choose Yeddyurappa's successor on Friday.

Yeddyurappa's resignation will be effective when he sends his letter to Karnataka governor HS Bhardwaj, who has been a bitter critic of the BJP leader.

BJP parliamentary panel, which met at the residence of party president Nitin Gadkari took the decision to ask Yeddyurappa to quit, spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.

"The parliamentary boards unanimously decided that there has to be a change in the Karnataka BJP legislative party. The party has advised Yeddyurappa, the current chief minister, to tender his resignation immediately," Prasad said after the meeting.

BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh will fly to Bangalore tomorrow for the election of the new chief minister.

Karnataka lokayukta N Santosh Hegde had recommended the prosecution of Yeddyurappa for multi-crore illegal mining in the state along with four ministers and government officials.