Putting an end to speculation for months, the former Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, on Friday formally severed his 40-year association with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He gave up the primary membership of the party and resigned from the Legislative Assembly. He represented the Shikaripur constituency in Shimoga district.
However, for now, there appears to be no trouble for the BJP government of the State, headed by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, with Mr. Yeddyurappa telling the MLAs supporting him not to quit the Assembly. “You must remember that we must not be accused of bringing down this government.”
At the same time, he warned the Chief Minister not to discriminate against legislators and Ministers who had identified themselves with him. “We want your government to complete the full term. But if you try to discriminate against the legislators who are associated with me, then you alone will be responsible for the consequences.”
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Mr. Yeddyurappa, who headed the BJP’s first government in the State, rebelled after the party leadership forced him to step down as Chief Minister following his indictment in the Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining. His relationship with the party soured further after the central leadership took the stand that he would not be given any top post till he was cleared in the ongoing cases of alleged corruption.
Soon after quitting the BJP, Mr. Yeddyurappa formally joined the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) by enrolling himself as a member. He will take charge as its State president at a convention to be held in Haveri on December 9. He asked legislators to keep away from the convention in an effort to bail them out from the dilemma in the wake of a warning issued by the party leadership against attending the rally.