Scam-hit Yeddyurappa eyes national role in BJP

SHIKARIPURA - Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, facing charges of favouring his kin with prime land, hopes to play a national role in building up the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after further strengthening it in his state.

“The party’s wish is that BJP should return to power in Karnataka and also at the centre (New Delhi). After securing 150 assembly seats (out of the 225 in Karnataka) in the next elections (due in 2013), I will move to national politics,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa represents Shikaripura, about 330 km from Bangalore, in the state assembly.

Yeddyurappa was confident that the BJP would do well in the Dec 26 and Dec 31 taluka (sub-district) and zilla (district) panchayat polls in the state despite corruption charges against him and some of his ministers.

“This (panchayat) elections will further strengthen BJP’s foundation in the state and will help us win 150 seats in the assembly polls,” he claimed.

Yeddyurappa dismissed the Congress party as a “sinking ship” and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) as “thande-makkala paksha” (father and sons party) that have no prospects of coming to power in the next 10 years.

JD-S is headed by former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and while one of his sons is state president, the other is leader of the party in the assembly.

Yeddyurappa maintained that the Congress and JD-S were levelling baseless allegations against him. “These charges have had no impact on the voters as I found during my extensive campaigning across the state for the upcoming polls,” he asserted.

He also indirectly ticked off Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, who has said that he was not happy with the chief minister’s reply to his letters on land scams and illegal iron ore mining in the state.

“I cannot satisfy everybody and there is no need also,” Yeddyurappa said.

“I have replied to the governor. If he is not satisfied, I cannot help it,” the chief minister said.

Bhardwaj had sought the “true picture” from Yeddyurappa regarding allegations against him and the action he had taken against the Reddy brothers, who are also ministers, for the alleged illegal iron ore mining.

“I am not satisfied with the replies. I may write another letter to him,” Bhardwaj had told reporters in Bangalore Monday.