Time to quit BJP nearing, says Yeddyurappa

Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who has been threatening to chart his own course, said on Friday that time is nearing to quit the party. He also declared that he or his followers will not seek tickets from the party for next elections.

The former chief minister called an urgent press meet on Friday after the high command turned down his candidature for the party’s president post, Yeddyurappa, who was resting at Art of Living ashram on Kanakapura Road, rushed to his office in Malleswaram to address the press at a time when party leaders were busy in national council meet in Haryana.

For the first time, Yeddyurappa openly criticised party’s national president Nitin Gadkari for failing to deliver the promise of making him the state president.

Gadkari during the meeting on Thursday had announced that that no one is above the party and those who work hard for the party would be rewarded. Commenting on Gadkari’s statement, Yeddyurappa said, “I would like to tell Nitin Gadkari that I have not become the chief minister of the state simply like that. Hard work in the last 40 years had taken me to the post of chief minister and one should realise that.”

“When Sadananda Gowda was made the chief minister of the state, Nitin Gadkari had assured me that within 24 hours, I would be made the state president of the party. Heeding to the allegations charged by Ananth Kumar, he has denied a chance for me and now creating all sorts of confusions. To create factionalism in the party, the party had facilitated formations of two deputy chief ministers post, which nowhere existed in the country.”

Targeting at the functioning of Gadkari, the former chief minister said, “Everything was okay in the party till Atal Bihari Vajpayee was active in the politics. If some promises were made, it used to get materialised. But now, that is not that case because the party is facing problem in many states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states.”

Yeddyurappa praised Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi for delivering promises made to her partymen. “In Congress from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi if some promises were made to partymen, they were fulfilled. That is the greatness of that party and its leadership. One should praise the leadership of Congress for being firm on promises they make.”

Commenting on party state president KS Eshwarappa’s stand on not giving party tickets to followers of Yeddyurappa, former chief minister said, “None of my supporters or I will stand in queue to get the B form from the party in coming elections. Eshwarappa is free to give tickets to whomever he feels like.”

Ananth has a golden chance
BS Yeddyurappa said that even if the party offers him president’s post, he will not accept it and tour the state from October 5 to understand the pulse of the people. “I will act as per the wish of my well wishers and followers. I request them to post me suggestions on what should my future course of action. If they want me to continue in politics, I will go for it or else if they want me to retire, I am ready even for that,”said Yeddyurappa.

Attacking his bete noire Ananth Kumar, Yeddyurappa said he is misguiding national leaders by making false allegations. “He made Advani to believe all false allegations against me and succeeded in pressuring the party leaders to deny me the post of party president. Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitely who had assured me of president’s post in the state could not deliver the promise owing to pressure from LK Advani.”

Lambasting at Ananth Kumar, former chief minister said that Kumar who is also national general secretary of the he party wants to make his close aide Prahlad Joshi as the new president of the state unit.

In a voice loaded with sarcasm he said, “Ananth Kumar has been making effort to become state president and chief minister of the state. Now he has got a golden opportunity to become the state president.Instead of making someone else the state president, Ananth Kumar should lead the party

in coming elections. No one can stop him from becoming the president and he will not have any hurdles to become CM thereafter.”