Caretaker Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday held talks with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders to discuss the BJP’s next steps after its crushing Assembly election defeat.
This was Bommai’s first visit to the BJP’s ideological parent’s headquarters ‘Keshava Krupa’ after the saffron party ended up with 66 seats while Congress romped home with 135.
“We have discussed the overall poll results. We have also discussed how to organise the party in the days to come with (RSS) guidance. Our state president (Nalin Kumar Kateel) and leadership will also hold discussions. After that we will discuss on how to organise the party in the days to come,” Bommai told reporters.
Commenting on social media talk that the BJP lost because party veteran B S Yediyurappa was removed as CM, Bommai said: “Yediyurappa has clarified that he stepped down voluntarily. People can say all sorts of things.”
Bommai also denied the notion that issues such as Hijab and Halal led to the BJP’s defeat. “We were clear from the start that we will go with development and ‘double-engine’ as our focus,” he said.
Asked about implementation of the Congress’ five poll guarantees, Bommai maintained that the state would slip into a precarious financial condition. “We said this during the election. Let them form the government. Let’s see what they do. People are the ones who’ll decide. They trusted the guarantees and gave (Congress) power. So, people will decide whether or not that trust was kept intact,” he said.
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