Yeddyurappa hints at leaving BJP

Upset at being neglected by the top brass after his ouster as Chief Minister, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa on Friday dropped clear hints of leaving the party, saying he was facing a ‘suffocating environment’ in it.

“I am facing a suffocating environment in the party. I am waiting for an opportune time to decide my future. I will take a decision on completing my ongoing second leg of tour in parts of the state by December end,” he told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa, who is unlikely to attend the BJP National Executive at Haryana from December 27, said he would take a decision on his future plans in December. He defended the delay in announcing a decision on his political future, saying any decision at this stage would rock the government headed by Jagadish Shettar, whom he installed as Chief Minister. Yeddyurappa said he does not aspire for any position in the party or that of state unit president. “I have asked my supporters not to lobby with the high command for any position for me. I will not accept the state unit party post, even if the party offers it to me,” he said.

“If at all I have to become Chief Minister again, I will become with the blessings of the people,” Yeddyurappa, who was forced to quit in July last year after a Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicted him, said.

“In fact after I quit,I have been working as a ruling party member and also as opposition party member. It is my hard stand that ensured waiver of Rs 3,200 crore loans to farmers. It is on my call the KSRTC strike ended,” Yeddyurappa said, who announced plans to tour 50 constituencies in the coming days, said.

He reminded party bosses of his efforts in the last 40 years to build BJP in the state from a strength of two MLAs to 121 and said he had played a pivotal role in installing the first-ever saffron party government in the South.

He took a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister K S Eswarappa,who is also continuing as state unit party chief,saying he has the onus to bring back the party to power. “He should quit the ministry and devote his energy to strengthening the party”.

On the Cauvery issue, he slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for directing Karnataka at the Cauvery River Water Authority meet in Delhi to release 9,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. He alleged that Singh had done so to please Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to save his ‘minority government’ by secuing AIADMK’s support.