Karnataka: Be ready for early polls, says BS Yeddyurappa to partymen

Kalaburagi: Asserting that the ruling Congress party may advance the dates of elections to the state Assembly, BJP state chief B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday asked his partymen to get ready to fight the election. The polls are due in April-May next year.

Addressing his party office-bearers here, Yeddyurappa said the State Assembly elections may be held in December,  nearly five months ahead of schedule. “The Congress has its reasons (for going for early elections). Get prepared to fight early polls”,  Yeddyurappa told his partymen. The recent developments in the ruling party such as the appointment of  K.C. Venugopal as the new national general secretary in charge of Karnataka and continuance of Dr G Parameshwar as PCC president besides the announcement by the party that it will fight the next election under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, may have prompted Yeddyurappa to assume that the election dates will be advanced, said sources.

The BJP veteran was confident that his party enjoyed a groundswell of support due to the pro-people and scandal-free governance of PM Narendra Modi.

“This has been demonstrated in the recent UP election. We had not expected that he would win 325 seats there, including 75 reserved seats. The party’s stupendous performance in UP was due to its strengthening at the booth level. A similar exercise should be carried out in the state as well”, Yeddyurappa stated.

 The party’s list of candidates would be finalised during the visit of BJP President Amit Shah on August 3, 4 and 5.  Responding to the plea by Rajya Sabha Member K.B. Shanappa that tickets should be given only to those candidates who had bright chances of winning rather than those who hung around senior leaders, Yeddyurappa declared he was prepared to conduct three rounds of surveys to identify suitable candidates. “ The tickets will be given only to those who have good chances of winning. The norms followed in UP for awarding tickets will be emulated here”, he stated.

Shettar joins BSY tour
State BJP chief B.S.Yeddyurappa is apparently not amused at the absence of his senior party leaders on his tour of drought- hit districts of the state.

While all leaders, including his rival, K.S. Eshwarappa, who went on a parallel tour of drought-hit areas on his own,  were present at the inaugural event that kicked off his tour on May 18 in Tumakuru, few  have accompanied  him since.

With their absence getting media attention and being questioned by BJP workers in the districts,  Mr Yeddyurappa reportedly raised  the issue at the party’s core committee meeting recently and advised his senior leaders to accompany him in the interest of its image and also gaining a close look at drought which could come in handy during the coming monsoon session of the legislature. However, former CM Jagadish Shettar has taken his party’s chief advice seriously and joined him in Gadag, Koppal, Raichuru and Kalaburagi districts. While he is expected to be back in Bengaluru on Monday to attend the session.