BSY’s guidance crucial for next elections: Arun Singh

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said on Thursday that the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru “needn’t be discussed” in the wake of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa’s inclusion in the party’s parliamentary board and election committee.

Singh, who is in charge of the party in Karnataka, was speaking after greeting Yediyurappa.

“That is not the issue to be discussed here. Because now, karyakartas (workers) are very happy that Yediyurappa is made a member of the BJP’s highest decision-making body (parliamentary board). That is the issue,” Singh said, responding to queries on whether the murder of Praveen in Dakshina Kannada district would affect the party.

“The state government is proactive in dealing with the case and the guilty will be punished,” he said.

On whether it would have been a challenge to win in Karnataka without Yediyurappa, Singh said that it wasn’t the fact.

“He is always encouraging party workers and is the most experienced person. (He is the) the tallest leader not only in BJP but across all parties in the state,” he said, adding that Yediyurappa’s guidance is “crucial” for the next general elections.

“In Karnataka, we will return (to power) with a thumping majority under the guidance of Yediyurappa, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel,” he said.

Singh also accused Congress of being reduced to a ‘conspiracy party’.

“Tapping (phones), recording of phones and making false allegations is the basic funda (strategy) Congress has adopted... they will definitely not succeed in such misleading activities,” he said.