The Hindu : Front Page : BJP rules out support to Janata Dal (S)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 12, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

BJP rules out support to Janata Dal (S)

Staff Reporter

We are preparing for elections, which are likely in May: Yediyurappa

STOCKTAKING: BJP leaders (from left) Jagadish Shettar, B.S. Yediyurappa, K.S. Eshwarappa and H.N. Ananth Kumar at a party meeting in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

Bangalore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to face the midterm elections and it will not join hands with the Janata Dal (Secular) to form a government if the coalition breaks up. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly B.S. Yediyurappa made the BJP's stand clear on Wednesday at a meeting of party legislators.

The meeting was attended by the State unit office-bearers. It went into the rift between the coalition partners, Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), over tie-up in the zilla and taluk panchayats.

Prominent among the leaders who attended the meeting were party General Secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar, State unit President Jagadish Shettar, BJP group leader in the Legislative Council D.H. Shankaramurthy, Deputy Leader in the Assembly Govind Karjol and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee K.S. Eshwarappa.

Mr. Yediyurappa ruled out any truck with the Janata Dal (S), which, he said, has failed to extract an assurance from the Congress High Command to extend the coalition arrangement to the panchayats. The party, he said, is ready to face the elections, which are "likely to be held in May".

He said the party leaders have told its MLAs to begin campaigning for midterm elections in their constituencies. Denying reports, particularly those being aired by TV channels, that the BJP is trying to form a Government with the support of the Janata Dal (S), he said that there is no truth in it. The party, he said, will launch a movement against "poor administration" by the coalition Government.

The Janata Dal (S), he said, should not have joined hands with the Congress against which it fought in the elections only with a view to keeping the BJP out of power, Mr. Yediyurappa said. He said no senior leader of the BJP has discussed with the Janata Dal (S) the issue of having a tie-up.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section