'Winning is important', says Yeddyurappa while defending giving tickets to Reddys
Winning is important for us, B S Yeddyurappa, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate said while defending the BJP leadership's decision of giving tickets to mining barons, the Reddy brothers of Ballari and their associates.
Yeddyurappa said he was aware of his past experiences with the Reddy brothers and would cautiously move ahead.
"All the former and present MLAs of Ballari, including Sriramulu, are with us. While two of them left us, we gave tickets to the rest of them. They will surely win. Victory is equally important," he said.
BJP has fielded G Somashekhara Reddy in Ballari city and his elder brother and former Ballari Lok Sabha member G Karunakara Reddy in Harappanahalli in Davanagere district.
Another brother, Janardhana Reddy, has been barred from entering Ballari, in accordance with his bail conditions in the illegal mining case and is camping near Molakalmuru in Chitradurga district overseeing the campaign of his siblings as also the BJP.
Yeddyurappa said Janardhana Reddy had not expected a ticket to contest the polls and added that if he felt he should help, he was free to do so independently.
"I admit I should move cautiously," he told a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Bangalore and Bangalore Reporters Guild.
Yeddyurappa said he has not forgotten the past.
"I am not forgetting (the past incidents of) Reddy brothers. I have told you we will be very careful in future. I know what had happened when I was the chief minister. I will be careful," said the former chief minister.
Asked about chief minister Siddaramaiah's accusation that Somashekhara Reddy had been accused of bribing a judge in the cash for bail case, he said the charge was not true and had lost its meaning as the Reddy brothers had been absolved.
Somasekhara Reddy has been accused of bribing a judge in the cash-for-bail case that involved Janardhana Reddy. He is currently out on bail.
Yeddyurappa counter-questioned the chief minister, asking him to explain about the cases against their candidate Anand Singh, to whom they had given a ticket and who too had been to jail.
To
a
question
on
reported
differences
of
opinion
between
him
and
party
president
Amit
Shah
regarding
Janardhana
Reddy,
Yeddyurappa
said
the
latter
was
not
in
the
BJP.
BJP
has
publicly
distanced
itself
from
Janaradhana
Reddy,
with
party
chief
Amit
Shah
recently
saying
it
has
nothing
to
do
with
him.
Yeddyurappa,
however,
admitted
he
had
met
Reddy
before
Shah
had
publicly
disowned
him.
"Since
the
court
has
denied
him
(Reddy)
permission
to
canvass
in
the
election
(at
Ballari),
he
cannot
canvass
for
us.
For
me
winning
each
and
every
constituency
is
important."
To
a
query
that
Reddy
brothers
had
abused
him
in
public,
Yeddyurappa
said,
"You
forget....What
about
people's
opinion?
How
can
they
win
there
then?"
Asked how he would face the electorate when he had been to jail on corruption charges, the BJP leader said he has been absolved of all charges by the courts.
Yeddyurappa
demanded
that
the
chief
minister,
who
has
been
taunting
him,
saying
he
was
once
a
prisoner,
explain
who
gifted
him
the
Rs
70
lakh
watch
and
the
reason
for
it.
"Siddaramaiah
who
looted
and
did
corruption
talks
of
Yeddyurappa
going
to
jail.
Why
are
then
people
giving
me
150
seats?"
The BJP leader ruled out any possible tie-up with Janata Dal (Secular), headed by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, saying that such a question does not arise because his party would get an absolute majority.
"Even in Badami, defeat is staring at him. Congress is a divided house with three doors, where there are differences of opinion between Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge and G Parameshwara," said Yeddyurappa.
Karnataka Assembly Election dates | |||
Date of notification | April 17 | ||
Last date to file nominations | April 24 | ||
Last date to withdraw nominations | April 27 | ||
Date of polling | May 12 | ||
Date of counting | May 15 | ||