Siddaramaiah cautions BJP on projecting Yeddyurappa as CM candidate

Bangalore, Mar 22 (UNI) KPCC Poll Campaign Committee Chairman Siddaramaiah today said it would be disadvantageous for the BJP to project former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa as the Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of the Assembly polls in Karnataka.

Speaking at a meet the press programme organised by Bangalore Press Club and Reporters Guild here, he charged that Mr Yeddyurappa had failed ''miserably'' as a finance minister when the JD(S)-BJP coalition government was in power in the state for 20 months.

He alleged that as the Chief Minister, the BJP leader tried to achieve in just six days what was not possible during his 20-month tenure as finance minister, to issue BPL cards to about 15 lakh people, adding Mr Yeddyurappa was now blaming the Governor for not implementing it.

He said if BJP continued with such political gimmicks and think of using them as the trumph card in the elections, it was mistaken.

Mr Siddaramaiah said it was not the practise of the Congress party to announce the Chief Ministerial candidate in advance of the Assembly polls as it believed in collective leadership.

Stating that Congress was fully prepared to face the Assembly polls even if held in May, he said the party had already set up various committees related to campaigning for the elections.

''We are eagarly waiting for the Election Commission to announce the dates of the elections,'' he claimed.

Favouring a single party rule in the state, he claimed that the Congress would come to power on its own and it was clear from the support of the people for the recent 'Janandalon' programme, the party had conducted in 27 districts.

''People are fed up with the functioning of coalition set ups as they could not solve their problems. They know that only the Congress can give them a stable government,'' he added.

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