Bharatiya Janata Party national president Rajnath Singh and the former Chief Minister and president of the Karnataka Janata Paksha B.S. Yeddyurappa held a meeting for about 30 minutes in Hosabale village in Sorab taluk on Monday.
They were at the village to attend a remembrance programme organised in honour of Meenakshamma, mother of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale who died recently. It was the first meeting between Mr. Singh and Mr. Yeddyurappa after the latter quit the BJP to join the KJP.
Mr. Singh, who addressed a public convention in the village, said the Congress suffered a serious setback in the recent Assembly elections in five States. The voters had expressed their displeasure over the misrule of the Congress-lead United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
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In the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress would be trounced and the BJP would form the next government at the Centre, he said.
After the public convention, Mr. Singh, along with BJP State president Pralhad Joshi, in charge of Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan, senior leaders Ananth Kumar and Ayanur Manjunath met with Mr. Yeddyurappa and his son and Shimoga MP, B.Y. Raghavendra.
The meeting assumes political significance in the wake of the efforts by State BJP leaders to bring Mr. Yeddyurappa back to the BJP. Speaking to presspersons after the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa said political issues were not discussed at the meeting. “Even after my exit from the BJP, I enjoy a close relationship with Mr. Singh. It was a courtesy call and we didn’t discuss political issues,” he said.
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Hubli Staff Correspondent reports:
Speaking to presspersons during a brief stopover at Hubli airport, Mr. Singh said the final decision on welcoming Mr. Yeddyurappa into the party would be taken after another round of discussions with the State unit. The issue had already been discussed at the national and the State-level. However, a final decision would be taken, after another round of discussions with the State unit. Mr. Singh said the party would welcome anyone who was in support of Narendra Modi’s candidature for the prime ministership. He clarified that there was no confusion in the party about Mr. Modi being prime ministerial candidate of the party.
WelcomedMr. Singh said he would welcome the decision of the Aam Admi Party to form a government in Delhi. However, he took exception to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s statement that he would make public all cases of corruption related to the BJP and the Congress. The BJP had been in power for a short period and it had not indulged in any corruption. It was the Congress against which there were allegations of corruption, he said.