Bengaluru: Hitting the poll campaign trail, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa obliquely expressed his intentions to continue in his tenure even after state Assembly elections in 2023. Notwithstanding the criticism by his own party men, Yediyurppa said that he would want to lead the party to victory in 2024 Lok Sabha polls along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the Congress in the state gets zero seats in the next Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking at the campaign rally in Tumkuru, Yediyurappa dared the Congress leader, Siddaramaiah to accept his challenge to defeat him in 2023 Assembly polls. "Let Siddaramaiah know that I will not allow the Congress party to win single seat now or even in next Assembly elections and will ensure them to sit in the Opposition. And I will lead the party in next Lok Sabha election along with Prime Minister Modi," he said and quickly added that he was stating this to ensure to strengthen the hands of Modi by handing him even bigger victory in next Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
MLA creates controversy
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who represents Vijayapura in north Karnataka, has triggered a controversy with his statement that Yediyurappa won’t be the state’s chief minister for long now.
He made the remarks at a function in Bijapur. A video of his address has since gone viral. Yatnal’s comments come amid speculation that the BJP brass is looking to replace Yediyurappa because of concerns about his age - he is 77 - and resentment about what is perceived as his unilateral way of functioning. The MLA said Yediyurappa will soon be replaced as chief minister, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has plans to name a leader from north Karnataka as his successor.
“Yediyurappa is a CM only because of the support from MLAs of north Karnataka,” Yatnal said of the chief minister, whose constituency Shikaripura falls in central Karnataka’s Shivamogga district.
North Karnataka is a stronghold of the powerful Lingayat community, to which Yediyurappa belongs. “Did anyone vote for the BJP in Mandya and Kolar (central Karnataka)? Though north Karnataka people elect about 100 BJP MLAs in every election, when it comes to getting power, we are forced to bow down before the leaders of other regions like Dakshina Kannada. Even the party high command has recognised this disparity. I know that PM Modi has almost finalised a name from the region for the CM post,” Yatnal is heard saying in a video.
Leaders from north Karnataka are disgruntled over not getting their due, he said, seeking to quote party colleague Umesh Katti. Senior BJP leader Katti, he added, had recently lashed out at Yediyurappa’s alleged bias towards his own constituency. Yatnal claimed Yediyurappa had used £12.5 million allotted for north Karnataka to develop his home district.
“This has led to a fight between him and me. He’s focussing only on Shivamogga. He has not given us the funds or else I could have developed our areas and concretised our roads,” he said. However, senior leaders of the BJP said there was no truth to Yatnal’s remarks, adding that action will be taken against the MLA.
