Yeddyurappa will destroy BJP in State, says Congress MP

By forming a new political party, former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will be successful in his objective to destroy BJP in Karnataka, predicted Mysore and Kodagu MP A H Vishwanath on Friday.The BJP leader finds no other alternative than furrow own land and form a political party with his supporters instead of continuing to suffer humiliation from the party leadership.

“BJP’s national leaders are adopting double standards when it comes to backing Yeddyurappa,” the Congress MP remarked, citing how the BJP central leadership is treating the case of its national president Nitin Gadkari, who is facing allegations of illegal dealings and receiving various favours such as unsecured loans, and its state leader Yeddyurappa with different yardsticks.

“The BJP high command has ill-treated and humiliated Yeddyurappa badly. The fact that L K Advani has come out strongly in defence of Gadkari, shows how BJP leaders are adopting double standards and are ill-treating its leader, who was chiefly responsible for bringing BJP to power in Karnataka for the first time.” “If the BJP leaders can vehemently support Gadkari, what made them to oust Yeddyurappa from office? Why are they failing to support him? It is clear they are adopting one yardstick for Gadkari and a different one for Yeddyurappa,” Vishwanath said, while speaking to Businsss Standard in Mysore.

Citing that Yeddyurappa hails from a district which has seen many veterans in state politics like Kagodu Thimmappa, Gopala Gowda, J H Patel, Ganapathayya and Konandur Lingappa, the Lok Sabha member said Shimoga is a land of fighters.

“They value their stand and honour. If they are ill-treated, they chose their own way. This is true of Yeddyurappa too. Instead of continuing to face humiliation and suffering at the hands of state and central leadership of his party, he has decided to form his own political outfit,” Vishwanath remarked.

His objective in forming a separate party, the Karnataka Janata Dal, is to destroy BJP in Karnataka. As a capable leader, he will be successful in this task. This will add a new dimension to the state politics and the key to charting out the state’s future will be in the hands of the electorate in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Present indications however are that a situation which would be favourable to overall development of the State and a scenario that would satisfy their democratic aspirations may not emerge, the Congress leader felt.

Recalling that Yeddyurappa was responsible in making two Vokkaliga leaders as chief ministers in Karnataka, Viswanath said this is not realised by many. “Yeddyurappa is unaware of his capacity. He has his own strength. He will be successful in his aspiration (of destroying BJP in the state),” the MP said.

Vishwanath’s remarks indicated the Congress strategy in taking advantage of the emerging situation that is, the emergence of a regional party in the State political platform and the impact that it would likely to make.