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Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who has been upset with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership for sidelining him following charges levelled against him in connection with a mining scam, arrived here today to attend the party's national executive meeting. Yeddyurappa, who had earlier on Thursday called for a bigger role for Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi in national politics, will be joining his party colleague on the second day of the meeting. Earlier on Thursday, Modi had his way by ensuring the exit of his bete noire Sanjay Joshi from the BJP National Executive. It was only after Joshi resigned that Modi accepted BJP president Nitin Gadkari's request to attend the two-day national executive meeting, which he had earlier planned to boycott. Joshi, a strong critic of Modi, had earlier in a letter to Gadkari said that he was relinquishing his post in the larger interests of the party. Modi was reportedly upset over Joshi's induction in the BJP, and had not even campaigned for the party in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Joshi, an old RSS hand, was also given the important charge of handling the poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had earlier on Thursday amended its constitution to give Nitin Gadkari a second term as the party president. A resolution amending the party constitution was moved at the national executive meeting here on day one by senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh and seconded by M Venkiah Naidu. Many prominent members of the BJP including senior party leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley are attending the national executive meet, which will end today.

After Modi, aggrieved Yeddyurappa joins BJP national executive meet