Taking the former Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa head-on, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader B.B. Shivappa has urged him to shun blackmail politics at least now and focus on the party's future so that loyal party workers will support him.
In a public letter addressed to Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Shivappa ridiculed him for remembering party workers only after losing power. Referring to Mr. Yeddyurappa's statement that he would meet party workers throughout the State by taking up a tour, Mr. Shivappa accused the former Chief Minister of completely forgetting party workers when he was in power. He advised Mr. Yeddyurappa to shun ego.
In an obvious reference to the threat by Mr. Yeddyurappa's camp that he may consider quitting the party if suitable post was not given to him, Mr. Shivappa asserted that nobody was indispensable to the BJP, which was built by the sacrifice of thousands of stalwarts and committed workers.
He took exception to Mr. Yeddyurappa reportedly comparing himself to the former Chief Minister Veerendra Patil, whose removal as Chief Minister cost the Congress dear. “Do not compare yourself to stalwarts like Mr. Veerendra Patil. The BJP will not become weak because of your stepping down,” he said.
Reminding Mr. Yeddyurappa that he had issued a notice to him (Shivappa) a few years ago stating that he had been suspended because of speaking against party central leaders and party organisation's decisions, Mr. Shivappa wondered if Mr. Yeddyurappa was not indulging in criticism of Central leaders and questioning the decisions of the party now. “Why is the party discipline confined to only ordinary party workers like us and why you have been exempted from such provisions?” he wondered.
