Why Yeddyurappa should heed Shettar's backlash warning

Bangalore, Jan 25: BS Yeddyurappa should seriously heed the warning of his one-time protege and Karnataka Chief Minister

.

Shettar has warned of a backlash, particularly in north Karnataka, if his government were to be toppled by MLAs backing Yeddyurappa.

"If there is an attempt to bring down a government, people will not pardon it," he told reporters yesterday in his home-town Hubli in north Karnataka.

Thirteen BJP MLAs from Yeddyurappa's camp have offered to quit and it may reduce the number backing the Shettar government.

Shettar's threat is not empty rhetoric and Yeddyurappa knows this. For the past few years, the BJP has been trying to expand its influence in central and north Karnataka through various programmes like defections legislators (popularly called Operation Kamala) and schemes and its architect was Yeddyurappa himself.

The northern expansion became necessary as Vokkaliga domination in south Karnataka remains unshakeable and JDS leader Deve Gowda has consolidated in this region for the last five years. Even the Congress is a good fighter in south Karnataka.

The north Karnataka has seen slow shifting of loyalty from the Congress to the BJP and it may remain with the saffron party at least in this year's elections regardless of Yeddyurappa's antics.

OneIndia News