Cong mounts pressure on BSY, asks BJP chief to resign

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa’s sudden U-turn on the audio-clip episode on Sunday has not only left his partymen cringing, but it has also given more ammunition to the coalition partners in the ongoing political war over charges of horse trading.

No sooner than Yeddyurappa admitted to having met Gurmitkal MLA’s son Sharanagouda at Devadurga, earlier in the day, the Congress and the JD(S) demanded his immediate resignation (as MLA).

Taking a swipe at Yeddyurappa for alleging that the audio clip was doctored, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy sarcastically congratulated the BJP leader for admitting that it was his voice in the ‘Operation Kamala’ audio.

“Yeddyurappa, who had rubbished the audio clip earlier as mimicry, today, has admitted to it (meeting Sharanagouda). It looks like Dharmasthala’s Manjunatha Swamy must have given him some wisdom to make this admission,” he said.

Kumaraswamy however got himself into a pickle while trying to mock the BJP, which has threatened to release an audio tape, in which he is purportedly heard demanding Rs 25 crore to give party leader Vijugouda Patil a ticket to the Legislative Council, in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

“The BJP has said that they will expose me in the House tomorrow. Let them - I am ready.

I myself raised the matter in the Assembly five years ago. It was a conversation which took place within the party fold.”

Making a quick recovery, Kumaraswamy said, “How can I have asked for the money, when I don’t have any? My party MLAs have contested elections by borrowing money. As chief minister, I haven’t summoned anybody from a different party and offered them Rs 10 crore or Rs 20 crore. Mine is a regional party - where will I have the money? I have to beg and borrow to run my party. But Yeddyurappa has looted, so he can afford (to buy MLAs),” he added.

On the BJP’s allegations that he had tried to poach on its MLAs Subhash Guttedar, Kumaraswamy said that he had tried to do no such thing. “Subhash Guttedar had come to give me a representation. It is true that at that time I told him that he could have become a minister if he had stayed on in the JD(S), instead of defecting to the BJP. But I didn’t try to lure him with money. I haven’t asked any of the BJP MLAs to help save my party by joining me. I would never ruin the political future of any of my BJP friends, just so that I can stay in power. I am not so selfish. I will be happy if Yeddyurappa understands this,” he added.

Reacting to Yeddyurappa’s remarks, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said that the BJP leader’s U turn displayed the BJP’s “dirty politics”. “If Yeddyurappa has admitted (to having met Sharanagouda), then this is nothing but dirty politics. We will impress upon the Speaker to take action by cancelling his MLA membership. Yeddyurappa had said that he will retire from politics, if the allegations are proved. He should now retire,” he said, while speaking to reporters in Tumakuru.

His sentiment was by echoed by his fellow partymen like Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

“Let Yeddyurappa stick to his words and retire from politics. Let him walk the talk. He is desperate to be in power,” said Siddaramaiah.

Rao, who took to twitter, said, “@BSYBJP⁩ has admitted his guilt. The tape is hence proved true. His role in #OperationKamala & his attempts to destabilise an elected govt by corrupt means now established. He should quit all positions & face the enquiry. Or retire, like he said.”

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar said that Yeddyurappa can’t hide from the truth for long. “It looks like Yeddyurappa is being true to his conscience - I appreciate it. May God bless him. This proves that the clip is not doctored. The BJP can rubbish the allegations made by the Chief Minister as bogus. But nobody can hide the truth. For, is it possible to doctor the voices of politicians like me, Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy or Yeddyurappa even? The BJP should accept reality. Because none of this is happening covertly - it’s all out in the open.”

Shivakumar also said that mining baron and former minister Janardhan Reddy had called a Congress MLA trying to lure him. “At that time, I had only called Reddy back and told him to make me the chief minister, instead of troubling first time MLAs,” he added.

The Minister said that Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar would take appropriate action against Yeddyurappa.