JOIN USKarnataka Janata Party president B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday announced the merger of his outfit with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Yeddyurappa’s announcement came after BJP state unit leaders extended a formal invitation to the former chief minister seeking his homecoming. However, he himself was keen on rejoining the BJP.
The announcement came after BJP leaders, including state president Pralhad Joshi, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, national general secretary Ananth Kumar and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa met Yeddyurappa at a star hotel in Bangalore and held talks with him for more than an hour.
They soon met the media. Flanked by Joshi and one time bete noire Ananth Kumar, Yeddyurappa said the modalities for the merger of the KJP, which has six MLAs, with the BJP will be worked out in the next two to three days.
“We have decided to forget the past and work unitedly ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in a bid to make Narendra Modi the prime minister. We will work together day and night to achieve our goal,” he said.
Yeddyurappa, had stepped down as chief minister following corruption charges against him. He left the BJP in November 2012 stating that the party had totally sidelined him.
Joshi said State BJP leaders along with Yeddyurappa will start touring the state from Friday. Ananth Kumar said Yeddyurappa has taken the right decision and all those who have quit the BJP to join the KJP will be welcomed back.
A merger of the two parties will raise the BJP’s strength in the Assembly. The BJP and Janata Dal(Secular) have 40 seats each now. If four KJP legislators join the BJP, then the Janata Dal(Secular) will lose its position as the principal opposition party in the Assembly, which it enjoys as its vote share was higher than that of the BJP.
The BJP state unit had already sought clearance from the party central leaders for meeting Yeddyurappa.
The final go-ahead came from BJP national president Rajnath Singh on Thursday morning.