Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa has negated reports about the former Chief Minister and party national vice-president B.S. Yeddyurappa being sidelined in the party.
Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Eshwarappa said that Mr. Yeddyurappa was the party’s mentor and his role in the party was crucial. Brushing aside reports about differences within the party, he said that a few drunkards were spreading lies about “differences in the party”. “There is no division in the party, we are united,” he said.
Refuting reports that Mr. Yeddyurappa had remained neutral in the run-up to the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, he said that the BJP would win the maximum number of seats in the corporation elections.
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Mr. Eshwarappa, however, said that in case of no clear majority, the party was willing to align with non-Congress parties to keep the Congress away from power.
‘Govt. is bankrupt’
Alleging that the State government had become bankrupt, Mr. Eshwarappa said that the compensation cheques issued to families of the deceased farmers were getting dishonoured because of the poor finances of the government. Waiving loans of farmers would help in preventing suicides, he said.
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Alleging that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao were helping each other, Mr. Eshwarappa said that disposing of the Lokayukta cases against Mr. Siddaramaiah was a glaring example of the nexus.
To a query, Mr. Eshwarappa said that nothing much should be read into Janata Dal(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy’s concern about Mr. Yeddyurappa.
He said that there was nothing wrong in Mr. Kumaraswamy speaking in support of Mr. Yeddyurappa who was being harassed by the Lokayukta.