Tainted or not, Yeddyurappa still mascot of BJP in Karnataka

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Even a month ago, the chief minister’s house on Race Course Road was teeming with ministers, legislators and hundreds of workers. But weeks since he stepped down and handed power to his successor, there’s been a sea change.

On Thursday afternoon, apart from half a dozen supporters waiting to see, the former chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa’s residence was deserted.

But BSY seemed unfazed, speaking freely, taking time to answer questions posed to him in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle.

Buoyed by the blessings of the party chief Nitin Gadkari who has issued a diktat to everyone in the party to not stand in the way of the Lingayat leader if he chooses to campaign for the upcoming by-election in Koppal, Mr Yeddyurappa, contradicting popular wisdom that the party had banned him from campaigning, said “Party national president called all the state leaders and told them that I, B.S. Yeddyurappa should lead the campaign and was free to tour wherever I want, and that the more I tour, the more the party will benefit.”

Asked whether the BJP would be accepted by the masses if Mr Yeddyurappa was not at the centrestage of the 2013 poll campaign, BSY replied, “The outcome of the Koppal by-poll will give you a hint on whether I will lead the 2013 campaign or not.”

One question though did catch him by surprise. Asked if the strong rumours in the BJP that he would return to the CM gaddi after three months were true, he looked stunned for a fraction of a second looking at reporter’s face and replied, “No comment.” The silence, raising more questions than answers.

The former chief minister not only brushed aside allegations of corruption but also asserted that he would not be weighed down by the perception of intellectuals as almost the entire state was of the opinion that he was falsely implicated in all cases.

According to Yeddyurappa, a slew of welfare programmes implemented over the last three years helped the party expand its support base by at least 20,000 to 25, 000 votes. He claimed that such a performance by his government would help the BJP candidate trounce his rivals by 20,000 votes in the bypoll to Koppal Assembly seat on September 26.

The leader, however, found it difficult to suppress a sense of disbelief when he read about his arch rival and Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy securing anticipatory bail in local eveningers.

In a free-wheeling interview, he spoke about internal dissension, court cases and his life after stepping down as chief minister last month. Excerpts:

To begin with, do you feel that it was a deliberate attempt to tarnish your image through several cases filed against you?

What are the charges against me in the Lokayukta report? The charges are only imaginary. My government ordered the Lokayukta probe into illegal mining since 2002, with a clear list of terms of reference. But you (the Lokayukta) did something else, ordered my prosecution and removal of three ministers from my cabinet, but nothing against H.D. Kumaraswamy.

I even can visualize events which unfolded on August 4, soon after the election of new leader of our legislature party. People in Raj Bhavan were busy ordering my prosecution on the basis of the Lokayukta report. It shows that both the Governor (H R Bhardwaj) and former Lokayukta (Justice N Santosh Hegde) had a grudge against me.

Recently you said that besides the Governor, former Lokayukta and Opposition party leaders, your own party men were part of a conspiracy to unseat you. Can you name them now?

Yes, it is true that some of my party people joined hands with Opposition leaders to unseat me. Some of my party leaders felt that if I continue in power, they won’t get a chance to occupy the CM’s post for at least five-six years. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was the happiest person when I resigned. All forces joined hands to force my resignation. I will not hesitate to say that one group in the party has been conspiring against me from the time I was elected leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.

Do you think the Lokayukta report was one-sided?

Yes, the Lokayukta did not carry out investigation into misdeeds of previous Congress government and the involvement of some leaders in illegal mining. The Lokayukta conducted the inquiry according to his whims and fancies, without giving me an opportunity to put forth my views. Yes, it is a one- sided report on illegal mining.

Do you think the recent developments, including your resignation, have caused harm to the image of the party and yourself?

After resignation, my popularity has swelled. People have showered sympathy after I submitted my resignation. They said Yeddyurappa should have continued as the Chief Minister.

Will the recent developments and absence of Reddy brothers in the ministry affect the party’s prospects in the next Assembly polls? Will people support the BJP when you are no longer the leader?

Just wait for the results of bypolls to Koppal. People will give a fitting reply to the Opposition by electing the BJP candidate with a victory margin of at least 20,000 votes. I am confident that people will support our party whether I lead it or not.