Squabble in Karnataka BJP: Congress, JD(S) demand dismissal of BS Yediyurappa's government

Bengaluru, June 17: With alleged bickering coming to the fore in the ruling BJP in Karnataka, the Congress and the JD(S) on Thursday demanded the dismissal of the BS Yediyurappa government, as the "lack of leadership is leading to anarchy".

As the BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in charge Arun Singh continued his consultations with his party leaders in the backdrop of speculation in some quarters over leadership change, former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy sought to take a dig at the JP Nadda-led party.

"I demand that the Governor should intervene and dismiss the BJP government immediately against the backdrop of anarchy prevailing in the state due to the infighting in the BJP," Congress leader Siddaramaiah, also Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, tweeted.

He added that the 'Vidhana Soudha', the seat of power, has shifted to the BJP office and the Kumarakrupa Guest House as the ministers are not available in their offices and no one was there to address the public grievances.

Siddaramaiah said "the government itself is in the ICU when the people are battered with COVID-19 and lockdown". The JD(S) second-in-command Kumaraswamy said, "The media reports say that the search for a leader to replace the existing one (Yediyurappa) has begun, but no suitable person is available".

"What is the use of a government which does not have leadership...Dissolve it first," Kumaraswamy tweeted. He likened the 'leaderless government' to a ship without a sailor and a house without an owner, which can prove fatal. Kumaraswamy claimed that the ruling party MLAs themselves are saying that the existing leadership was not up to expectations and have been demanding his replacement.

"Hence, this government is dangerous for people," Kumaraswamy said. "Why not dissolve the BJP government and stay away from power when there is no leadership?". He slammed the BJP for "lacking sensibility" for raising the issue of leadership change at a time when the state was battered by COVID-19 and people were in distress due to lockdown.