Yediyurappa turns emotional during his last speech in Karnataka Assembly
BENGALURU: “I will not be entering the Assembly again and there is no question of myself coming to the Assembly again,” said an emotional Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in the ongoing Assembly session in Bengaluru on Wednesday. “After session today I will not be coming to the assembly again and in a way this is my last appearance,” he stated.
Yediyurappa is the BJP MLA representing Shikaripura Assembly seat in Shivamogga and he was the first BJP Chief Minister of the South when he became Chief Minister in May, 2007.
In the speech, Yediyurappa said “I have decided not to contest the Assembly election” but that does not mean that “I will sit at home.” He announced that he would strive hard to build BJP in the State till his last breath of his life and asserted that “I will make an honest effort to bring BJP to power.”
He made it clear to the BJP MLAs and leaders that he would embark upon a State tour ahead of the Assembly elections and visit places wherever his presence is needed. “I am indebted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving me honour and status,” he said and asserted to strive hard to bring BJP back to power. Yediyurappa wanted MLAs of his party to be confident in facing the forthcoming Assembly election.
After Yediyurappa made the statement, Congress MLA Priyank Kharge said Yediyurappa’s experience is needed for the State and wanted him to contest the forthcoming Assembly election. Joining him, Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MLA Shivalinge Gowda also asked Yediyurappa to contest the forthcoming Assembly election.
Since 1983, Yediyurappa won seven times from the Shikaripura Assembly seat and became the Chief Minister for the first time in 2007 and again in 2008. He again became the Chief Minister in 2018 for three-days and his next tenure as CM was in 2019 which lasted for about two-years.
Yediyurappa plunged into politics in 1975 when he became the president of Shikaripura Town Municipality. In 1988, he became the BJP State president. He has been associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from his college days.
