In what would send jitters to BJP-led State government, the next three to four days will be crucial, for former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa who is now the president of Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), announcing to call a meeting of his supporters in the government.
Replying to queries at an interaction organised by Mysore District Journalists Association (MDJA) in the city on Thursday, Yeddyurappa said that administration has collapsed. He will be holding a meeting to elicit the opinion of those in his coterie and come to a conclusion. However, he clarified that the meeting is not to pull the carpet from under the feet of the government.
‘No to Congress’
Saying that the party has made a start and is yet to identify the rivals, Yeddyurappa quipped-“Illa, illa, illa” (no, no, no) when asked whether he has a tacit understanding with Congress.Yeddyurappa asserted that he doesn’t have any pre-poll understanding with the Congress party. He said it’s too early to say who are his rivals in the coming elections. Instead, he claimed that ‘he has just made a start with KJP.’
If taken to count the recent convention of the party at Haveri it was a historical gathering. The meeting was held without much preparations, yet majority of 75 per cent of the people descended on their own volition, he said.
State-wide tour
Yeddyurappa reiterated that he has begun the homework and State-wide tour may be launched from the end of this month, against the earlier announced second week.
The venue of launch will remain the same- Basava Kalyana. The KJP top leader said he already has a list of 100 winning candidates and candidates will be fielded in all the 224 assembly constituencies in the State. About 60 to 70 sitting legislators of BJP are expected to switch sides to KJP after the announcement of polls.
“The party will surely receive an overwhelming response gaining absolute majority,” Yeddyurappa exuded confidence.
He didn’t rule out that the legislators of Congress and JD(S) are in touch with him and will reveal their names only after they affirm their commitment.
Nascent days
Yeddyurappa recalled his nascent days as the president of Shikaripura local body. “I was personally supervising the cleaning works in the morning and taking down the attendance of pourakarmikas before beginning the work of the day at office,” said Yeddyurappa. He said he was an FDA at social welfare department in Bangalore before moving to Shikaripura.