Expressing confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would be able to win 22 of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State, party State unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Friday predicted that the “massive victory” would trigger squalling within the Janata Dal (S)–Congress government, leading to its collapse.
“The coalition government will not survive after the Lok Sabha polls. The actual timing of the collapse will depend on the stand to be taken by Congress MLAs after the elections,” Mr. Yeddyurappa said at a meet-the-press programme jointly organised by the Press Club of Bangalore and Bangalore Reporters’ Guild here.
Claiming that a strong BJP wave was sweeping the State, he predicted that stalwarts from the Opposition camp, including the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge, and veteran Congress leaders K.H. Muniyappa and M. Veerappa Moily were bound to “bite the dust” in these polls. He claimed that the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stronger and the party’s confidence higher than it was during the previous polls.
On I-T raids
Denying Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s allegations that the Income Tax Department was targeting non-BJP politicians for the saffron party’s poll gains, Mr. Yeddyurappa maintained that “the recent raids in Karnataka had nothing to do with politics”.
He reiterated his charge that the State government had paid around ₹1,360 crore in advance to contractors in Hassan though their works were yet to be completed. This was to get funds from them for elections, he alleged, and described the coalition government in Karnataka as a “20% commission government”.
‘Not worried over my post’
Mr. Yeddyurappa, 76, on Friday said he was not worried over whether or not he would retain the party post.
Asked what his plans were if he were to be sidelined on the basis of age like party veteran L.K. Advani, Mr. Yeddyurappa said, “Whether I hold any post or not, it does not matter. I will tour the State soon after the Lok Sabha polls to strengthen the party organisation with or without the post.”
He said he was committed to abiding by any decision the party takes. On speculation that he may lose his State president’s post after the polls, he said in a lighter vein: “At least I will be continuing with the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.”
