Nobody should talk about separate statehood for North Karnataka: Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru, July 18: Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday rubbished the seperate statehood demand for North Karnataka and said it would be "wrong" on part of any party to make such a claim.

The demand for separate North Karnataka state has been around for many years and those who back this notion cite lack of development in the region as one of the main issues. In May, Devara Hipparagi MLA AS Patil Nadahalli, a Congress rebel who joined the BJP in March, said that the demand for separate North Karnataka state would be inevitable if the Government continues to neglect the development of backward regions of North and Hyderabad Karnataka region.

"There is no consensus on the separate state issue. Nobody should talk about a separate state. If there is no development, work for the development of North Karnataka but separate state is not a solution. It is wrong if any party claims for it," Yeddyurappa told the media today (July 18).

Nadahalli had demanded 50 per cent of cabinet berths and chairman posts at state-owned Boards and Corporations to be reserved to North Karnataka region.

Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj had earlier threatened to sit on a dharna in every district of Karnataka from today in protest against the demand for separate statehood for north Karnataka by a section of people.