Bagalkot: Putting an end to all speculation about him contesting the 2018 state poll from Terdal in Bagalkot district, state BJP president, B.S. Yeddyurappa announced on Friday that he did not intend to change his constituency from Shikaripur in Shivamogga district.
“I will not contest from any place other than my native constituency as it is my political birthplace,” he declared. And what did he intend to do about the decision of the BJP high command to field him from a constituency in North Karnataka? The former Chief Minister replied that he would persuade it to let him contest from Shikaripur as always.
The Lingayat strongman's latest stance is contrary to his own statement not too long ago that he intended to contest the coming assembly poll from a constituency in either Bagalkot or Vijayapur district.
However, in an attempt to woo the dominant weavers' community of Terdal, he promised during the BJP convention in Rabakavi on Friday that the constituency would get more priority than Shikaripur in developmental work if he became Chief Minister.
“I will work hard to redress all the problems of the weavers and waive off their loans and also set aside over Rs 1,000 crore for their welfare as today they are even deprived of minimum wages. We will give more priority to improving their education, social and economic standard through Central schemes,” he said.
Later, in a warning to the Siddaramaiah government, the BJP leader said MLC, B G Puttaswamy would release documents on the “irregularities” committed by the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleague, K J George, on October 8 .
Speaking to reporters in Bagalkot, he claimed the police would have no choice but to issue a notice to both men after the “expose.” But he refused to divulge details of the “scams” he has reportedly uncovered.
On reports of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) planning to raid officials of the Income Tax department, Mr Yeddyurappa scoffed at Mr Siddaramaiah saying he was not aware of the law and it was “the height of foolishness to misuse the state agency against I-T officials.”
