BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa has ridiculed Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for taking up transplantation of paddy in Mandya district.
“As Chief Minister, instead of making a show, he has many bigger roles to play like striving hard to increase irrigation cover, providing relief to suffering farmers and helping them to wriggle out of the crisis by way of waiving farm loans, and providing adequate support price for their produce,” he said.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was currently on a tour of Hyderabad-Karnatak region, was addressing presspersons here on Saturday.
He criticised the Chief Minister for not responding to the problems faced by farmers, especially due to failure of follow-up rains in the State and also for not implementing the promises made by him especially waiving of farm loans availed from nationalised banks.
“The coalition government is still in deep slumber. Development works have come to a standstill as the government was whiling away its time in appointment of district in-charge Ministers and holding discussions over taking a decision on loan waiver. Except the Centrally-funded works no the development was being implemented. The only thing that is going on unhindered is transfers, which is unfortunate,” he regretted.
Mr. Yeddyurappa demanded that the State government publish a white paper on the development works taken up and also on financial health of the State. “After covering the first round of tour, I will urge the State government to declare the districts facing deficit rainfall as drought hit and take up relief measures,” he said in reply to a question.
B.S. Yeddiyurappa, State BJP president, admitted that fielding B. Sriramulu, Valmiki community leader from two constituencies in the Assembly elections, was a mistake.
Responding to questions by presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Yeddyurappa said the party should have fielded Mr. Sriramulu at Badami only instead of asking him to contest from two constituencies, which in turn would have helped the party to win more number of seats. "It was unavoidable and a party decision which was abided to.”.
Asked whether G. Janardhan Reddy, facing charges of illegal mining, would participate actively in the coming Lok Sabha election Mr. Yeddiyurappa said “I do not know. I am yet to discuss It".
To another question he said that the welfare and development programmes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would come as a booster for the party's victory in the Lok Sabha elections in the State.
On D.K. Shivakumar, Minister for Water Resources and Medical Education, being made as Ballari district in-charge, he merely said “Let us wait and see.”
Shobha Karandlaje, Sangankal Kara's, both MPs, Govind Karjol, G. Somshekar Reddy, N. Y. Gopalkrishna, M. S. Somalingappa, all legislators were among other leaders present.
* Later Mr Yeddiyurappa participated in party workers meeting.
