dna exclusive: But for Modi, I would've joined Third Front says BS Yeddyurappa

For a man whose Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) was pasted in the May elections to the assembly, BS Yeddyurappa these days is surprisingly relaxed, and not his earlier irritable self. With the emergence of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, he has become, from a politically untouchable, to the great white hope of the BJP for its revival in Karnataka. But, he will not rejoin the BJP, although he will support the NDA. In a conversation with Y Maheswara Reddy, the former chief minister explains why.

What are your political plans?
The emergence of Narendra Modi has changed many things. The kind of response he is getting from the youth is unprecedented. Not from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabh Bhai Patel, has such popularity has been witnessed. I will support the NDA. Two years ago, I was the first person in the BJP to say he should be the prime ministerial candidate.

Does that mean you will not rejoin the BJP?
Why should I? How can I? The people who tried to finish me off politically, got me removed from the chief ministership, put me in jail are still around in the BJP. How can I work with them, and they with me. Of course, if I am given the kind of responsibility, as a state president, may be, I will. But that is not realistic, given my detractors are still huddling within the state BJP.

Who are they?
I will not name them. You know them. I built the party through hard work and stayed within the state. I never lobbied in Delhi. But after I brought the party to power, someone wanted to replace me as chief minister. I stepped down, but blocked this person by getting to pick my successor. But he too stabbed me in the back. He gave selective information on me to the Supreme Court-appointed CEC. Not that he stayed in power for long.

But there were corruption cases against you.
What are the charges? I am the first chief minister to ban illegal mining. I increased the royalty on iron ore from 6% to 50%. And yet I am named by the former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde. When I asked him to probe illegal mining, I had asked him to see that the probe covers my predecessors too. Why did he let them off the hook? All that he could dig up against me was that my daughter’s charitable trust got a donation. Show me any charitable trust that is not collecting funds from public.

All charitable trusts depend on the funds. And the Lokayukta overlooked the fact that the donor did not get any favour from me. During the Congress regime, an unofficial toll was collected by deputy commissioners of Tumkur, Chitradurga and Bellary from trucks that transport iron ore illegally. Ironically, that money was used for development works. Who authorised them to collect money from truckers and use such illegal money for development works? Why did the Lokayukta overlook that?

On the criticism on your role in |Operation Kamala?
How can you criticise me for ensuring that my party’s government survives in power? I persuaded opposition MLAs to resign and contest from the same constituency within three months on BJP ticket. I ensured their win. It indicates the Yeddyurappa wave.

You claim you were the power behind the BJP, but how come your KJP perform so poorly in the assembly elections?
There was no time to strengthen the KJP. I delayed the formation waiting for some of my most trusted colleagues, like Basavaraj Bommai, Somanna and Umesh Katti to leave the BJP and join me. They kept dithering, making me lose time, before they decided to stab me in the back. I hardly had three months to form the party units, select candidates and campaign for them. And yet we got 10% of the vote. The BJP, without me, lost 14% vote share. What does that tell you?

Were there feelers from other parties when you left BJP?
The JD(S) tried to woo me. I rejected them. The Congress sent words through emissaries. In fact, I would have opted for even Congress or the Third Front most certainly, if Modi had not been projected by the BJP. Now, I want to undertake state-wide tour to choose candidates for the KJP to contest in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. I am confident of winning three to four Lok Sabha seats. Our MPs, if elected, will back NDA.

How did you spent 26 days in prison?
It was a different experience but I never lost hope. I was not idle in the prison. I was busy in writing. I will bring out a book on it at an appropriate time.

You are a god-fearing man, and everyday the media used to carry images of you falling at the feet of some swami or the other. Where did that get you?
I am religious, but not communal. Never have I ever made a communal speech. When I became chief minister, many religious people used to come to me and many people used to persuade me to undertake some pilgrimage or the other. May be I overdid it. I will correct myself.