BSY plans party by Dec, but won't pull down govt

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday announced that he would launch his new party by the end of December. The name of the proposed party and the symbol are yet to be decided, he said at a function at Anekal, near here.

Speaking to Deccan Herald before leaving for Belgaum, he clarified that he would not continue in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at any cost. He would neither take any BJP legislator along with him nor pull down the Jagadish Shettar government. There was no need for anyone to take up his case with the Central leaders of the party, he said.

Yeddyurappa is also open to the idea of joining hands with other parties and has been consulting them in this regard.

“I will take a final decision on either launching a regional party or joining hands with others by the end of December. I will get a clear picture by January and be ready to face the Assembly elections without the BJP banner by April,” he said.

To a question as to how many senior BJP leaders, including ministers, were likely to quit the BJP to lend him support, the former chief minister said “If somebody wants to join my party, they can do so in April or before the elections. I will be walking out of the BJP alone. I have my own base in all districts. There is no reason why I should continue in the BJP, because I was humiliated and shunted out of the chief minister’s post, despite the Lokayukta report not recommending my ouster,” he said.

Asked why he was not quitting immediately, if he was so certain on severing ties with his party, Yeddyurappa said he was yet to finish the networking work across the State.

To a question whether he was open to the idea of joining hands with the JD(S) or the Congress, he said he was exploring various options.

However, State BJP president and Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa said Yeddyurappa would not quit the party.

“In the past too, he has made such announcements. There is no need to read too much into it,” he added.