Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Saturday said there was no question of readmitting into the BJP fold former minister B Sriramulu, who has quit the party and decided to contest Bellary Rural bypoll as an independent.
“There is no question of taking Mr. Sriramulu back into the party fold. He got an opportunity to serve people because of BJP,” he told reporters here.
Mr. Sriramulu, a close associate of mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy, turned down the BJP offer to field him in the bypoll caused by his resignation apparently to protest his exclusion from the Gowda Ministry and sidelining of Reddy brothers.
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Mr. Gowda also ruled out ‘appeasing’ BJP legislators, including Suresh Babu, campaigning for Mr. Sriramulu in the bypoll. “Legislators campaigning for Mr. Sriramulu will be shunted out ... we will not have anything to do with them. They got an opportunity to serve people because of the party. Party is bigger than individuals,” he said.
Mr. Gowda said the BJP would retain the Bellary Rural seat as leaders like state party chief K S Eshwarappa and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa were working together to ensure its candidate Gadilingappa’s victory.
“We will use our party strength to register a win (in Bellary bypoll) ... Our party intelligence says Congress will come a poor third or fourth,” he claimed.
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