Former Congress leader SM Krishna will go saffron: BS Yeddyurappa

KALABURAGI: Senior leader S.M. Krishna, who recently quit the Congress, has almost consented to join the BJP, said BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa here on Saturday.

“Mr Krishna, who has walked out of the Congress miffed over the treatment meted out to him, has immense respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I’m going to meet him tomorrow (Sunday) and hold discussions,” Mr Yeddyurappa said. Another senior Congress leader Mr Srinivas Prasad has already joined the BJP. “With both Mr Prasad and Mr Krishna joining the BJP, the party will grow stronger in the state,” he said.

Asked whether Mr Krishna has put forth any demands for joining the BJP, Mr Yeddyurappa said, “He is not aspiring for any post in the BJP. He is joining us as he did not get the respect due to him in the Congress. He was hurt.”

Describing Mr Krishna as a “highly respectable” leader, Mr Yeddyurappa said that with his departure from the Congress, many prominent leaders from Mysuru and Mandya would also follow him. “This will help our party in the elections,” he said.
But he did not agree that these disturbances within the Congress would lead to the downfall of the Siddaramaiah government.

“My assessment is that this government will complete its full term and there won’t be any mid-term elections. For us, the longer this government survives, better it is as it will become increasingly unpopular,” he said.

Krishna wants to join BJP to save self: Hiremath
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that he is not aware of senior leader S.M. Krishna’s moves to join the BJP, but added that the Congress high command is trying to persuade him to return to the party-fold.

Mr Siddaramaiah, who was here to inaugurate the district office building complex, was irritated when pointedly asked whether he was trying to bring Mr Krishna back to Congress.

“What do you mean me? As a chief minister what I could have done?  It’s the high command which is seized of the matter,” an irritated chief minister replied. On comments by Mr Krishna that the views of senior leaders like him were not respected by the Chief Minister, Mr Siddaramaiah, throwing off his hands, said, “How can I address his problems if he decides to resign all of a sudden?”

On the revised report by the Sarojini Mahashi committee, he said it will be placed before the next cabinet. He said 164 taluks are reeling under severe drought. “The state government has submitted a memorandum seeking a grant of Rs 3,310 crore. This is in addition to the demand for Rs 4,702 crore during kharif season,” he said.

Asked whether he will waive off farmers’ loans in the budget, Mr Siddaramaiah said that it is the Centre which should address the issue as over 75% of loans have been given by nationalised banks. “We can chip in if the Centre decides to waive off the loans,” he said.