Yeddyurappa settling for second best; to be party prez?

Hubli, Mar 12: With former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa having to face one setback after another in quick succession, the man seems to have lost his clout within party circles. After creating quite a furore for the chief minister’s post, he was recently quoted as saying that he was willing to don the hat of state party president. He stated that he was willing to take over the post if the high command offers to do so.

His intention was made clear when he was attending a huge rally in Hubli to celebrate Yeddyurappa’s 70th birthday. He in a very matter-of-fact manner claimed that he had given up his hopes for the CM’s post. In the public address he said, “The BJP will be in power over the next two decades. I will work hard to make it a reality.”

He refused to blame the party’s central leadership for the situation he is in, but on the other hand blamed Opposition leaders, like JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy for depriving him of getting the top post.

He clarified in the address, “I don’t want to criticise the BJP central leadership, which could not keep up its promise of giving me the chief minister’s post after I was exonerated from illegal mining cases. I have not come to Hubli seeking the post.”

Yeddyurappa was less calm and forgiving when mediamen met him in the morning when he said, “I would have put Karnataka on the path of development if I was given free hand as chief minister. But our own partymen and Opposition leaders harassed me. I’ll not accept any position even if the party high command offered it to me over phone tomorrow.”

He added, “Given the four decades of political career, I have vast experience and expertise like Arjuna (of Mahabharata), who knew how to penetrate chakravyuha.”

OneIndia News