BS Yeddyurappa sticks by pal, Lehar for Legislative Council

Bengaluru: Talks between leaders of the state unit of BJP and JD(S) on striking an alliance ahead of elections to the Legislative Council were inconclusive as former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has not made up his mind about asking his diehard supporter Lehar Singh to pull out of the fray.

Sources close to the former CM told Deccan Chronicle that the Lingayat strongman was serious about the second candidate, Mr Lehar Singh, contesting the polls. Else, why did Union minister Ananth Kumar and Mr Yeddyurappa accompany the second candidate during submission of nomination papers on Tuesday?, asked the sources.

Mr Yeddyurappa, busy campaigning for the party candidate in Karnataka (South) graduates constituency in Mysuru and not available for comments. But sources maintained that with two days left for withdrawal of nominations, Mr Yeddyurappa would take a call after assessing the pros and cons of transferring excess votes to JD (S) candidate B. M. Farookh in Rajya Sabha elections.

Former deputy CM R Ashok has briefed him after discussing such an alliance with JD (S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy Tuesday. When contacted, Mr Lehar Singh said he was told by party top brass to file the papers.

“If the party instructs me to withdraw, I have to obey such an order. As for as my knowledge goes, our party is serious about my candidature. Even today, the party instructed me to be present during scrutiny of papers”, he added.