Arun Jaitley’s visit to Bangalore to persuade the former CM to give up his plans of floating his own political outfit proved futile as the Lingayat strongman rebuked him by saying that the initiative had come too late.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s visit to Bangalore to persuade former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa to give up his plans of floating his own political outfit proved futile as the Lingayat strongman rebuked him by saying that the initiative had come too late.
Yeddyurappa, who reportedly had a secret meeting with Jaitley, poured out his ire on the party national leadership. He said he has already travelled a long distance in moving away from the BJP and that there was no question of changing his plans of floating his Karnataka Janata Party at Haveri on December 9.
“There is no change in my plan to launch new party on December 9. Unmindful of whether anyone joins me on that day, I will go ahead with it. There is no question of looking back,” he told reporters at his residence here.
He, however, reiterated that he would not destabilise the Jagadish Shettar government and his loyalists would be allowed to continue in the ministry till the government completes its term.
“I am not leaving the BJP out of vengeance. I have certain dreams for Karnataka, which I could not realise when I was in the BJP... Now I want to realise those dreams of making Karnataka a progressive state,” he said.
Yeddyurappa said he banked on the support of people. The 70-year-old Lingayat strongman, who had played a key role in installing the first-ever BJP government in the south, said he was not floating a new political outfit to become chief minister or get any other post.
He also ruled out the possibility of his accepting any position like chief ministership or party presidentship in the BJP.
Meanwhile, dissidence rocked the JD(S) with party MLA from Shravanabelagola CS Putte Gowda and former MLA HM Vishwanath announcing their decision to quit the party.
The two leaders have accused JD(S) legislature party leader HD Revanna’s “arrogant and high handed style of functioning” as the cause for their decision to move out of the party. “There is no democracy within the party. HD Revanna is acting like a dictator. I have been humiliated many a time even in public meetings. I cannot tolerate this any long,” Vishwanath said.
However, JD(S) state president and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is trying to dissuade the two leaders from deserting the party. Kumaraswamy on Sunday night appealed to Putte Gowda and Vishwanath not to quit the party and assured that he would personally resolve their grievances, if any.
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