JOIN USDeputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa said on Monday that thousands of party workers, including himself, were hurt by the statement of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa against senior BJP leader L K Advani.
Yeddyurappa should not have spoken out against Advani, who has a clean public image, he told reporters in the city.
Eshwarappa, however, said that he would not get unduly worried by such statements of the former chief minister. All efforts were made to retain Yeddyurappa in the BJP, but the former chief minister had been saying that the party’s senior leaders were misleading and cheating him. Efforts by senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley to reach out to the former chief minister also proved futile, said Eshwarappa, who is also the State BJP chief.
Yeddyurappa does not seem to realise what he is saying, Eshwarappa said.
He said those leaving the party would not be forced to stay back. The State BJP chief exuded confidence that none of the BJP legislators or ministers would quit the party. The legislature session would be held in Belgaum from December 5 to 12 and there was no doubt about it, he said.
Eshwarappa said the BJP had not taken action against the MLAs and MPs supporting former minister B Sriramulu, as they all had replied to the party’s notices. The case of Yeddyurappa’s followers was different, he said.
‘Yeddyurappa unaware of protocol’
Eshwarappa said Yeddyurappa did not seem to have any knowledge of protocol and that he still thought he was the chief minister, reports DHNS from Chitradurga.
The deputy chief minister was reacting to the disappointment expressed by Yeddyurappa over not being invited for the inauguration of development works in Shimoga recently. He said Yeddyurappa was now just the MLA from Shikaripur. Staying back in the BJP would be in his own interest, the State BJP chief said.