'There will be political ups and downs after LS poll results,' says B S Yeddyurappa
Bengaluru: Indicating that the stability of the ruling coalition in Karnataka depended on the stand taken by disgruntled Congress legislators, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said Monday there will be "political ups and downs" after the general election results are declared on May 23.
He ruled out any possibility of his party's alliance with the JD(S), if such a situation were to arise. The former chief minister, however, said that those in BJP were not "political sanyasis." Yeddyurappa said it was too early to speak about the stability of the state government. "I want to say one thing clearly: Kumaraswamy had betrayed me after deciding to share power 20 months each (in 2006). There is no question of coming to an understanding with JD(S). There is no question of coalition government (with that party)," Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, he claimed more than 20 Congress legislators were feeling disgruntled. Let's wait and see what decision they will take, he said. "It's too early to say anything... I have never said the government will collapse and I shouldn't say it also. What I'm saying is there will be political ups and downs after May 23 results, anything may happen. I'm not saying we will form the government or we will come to power," he added. In 2006, the BJP and a section of JD(S) MLAs forged an alliance to form a government on the basis of a power-sharing deal, according to which Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa would be the chief minister for 20 months each. As JD(S) refused to transfer power to Yeddyurappa after 20 months, the BJP in October 2007 decided to withdraw support to the Kumaraswamy government, ending an uneasy and often bitter relationship, accusing the regional party of "betrayal." Pointing out that there is a "lot of confusion" in the state politics, Yeddyurappa said it is certain that Narendra Modi will become the prime minister of the country once again, and the results of Lok Sabha polls will have an implication on the politics here. "I'm not day dreaming to say that their (Congress and JD(S)) government should collapse. Let them concentrate on them being together. Am I responsible for Congress and JD(S) fighting each other; am I responsible for differences between them?" he questioned. To a question about BJP being held responsible for differences between the coalition partners, Yeddyurappa said, "Are we political sanyasis? Should we go and unite them?" There is a talk within political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabha election, which they fought in alliance, would have implications on the Kumaraswamy-led government.
Also, rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time has been threatening that he along with other MLAs would resign from the party soon in bulk, which has caused fear among the ruling coalition leaders as it would trigger the number game in the assembly. Adding to this is a meeting of "like-minded" MLAs that is likely to take place under the leadership Congress legislator S T Somashekar, soon after the by-polls for Kundgol and Chincholi assembly segments ends on May 19, to discuss issues faced by MLAs under the coalition government and long-pending development work, which is worrying the alliance leaders.
Predicting the defeat of former Union ministers Veerappa Moily in Chikkaballapur and K H Muniyappa in Kolar, Yeddyurappa said, in Tumkur the chances of our candidate winning is more against former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, in Mandya independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh supported by the party will win "100 per cent" against Kumaraswamy's son Nikil, while there is a fight in Hassan, where Gowda's other grandson Prajwal Revanna is the JD(S) nominee.
Yeddyurappa also said the party high-command will decide on the next state unit president, and he would continue as the leader of the opposition.
