Will quit BJP if not respected: Yeddy

Giving wings to the rumours of him floating a political outfit of his own ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday threatened to quit BJP if the party leadership continue to disrespect him.

“For me, self-respect is more important than anything, including the posts of chief minister or state BJP president. I have tolerated enough humiliation, but not anymore. I will quit the party if the attitude of leaders towards me continue like this,” Yeddyurappa said in a press conference at Honnali in Davanagere district.

Continuing his tirade against his own party leaders, Yeddyurappa accused them of having conspired to dislodge him from the Chief Minister’s post, though he had given development-oriented government.

Reiterating his wish to return as the CM after the Assembly poll, he said: “I want to become chief minister again. For that I don’t need the support of party bosses. As long as people are with me, I need not have to bother about anybody.”

Though Yeddyurappa’s outrage against BJP national leadership has kicked off a debate on whether he would tread his own political path in near future, many insiders in the BJP see it as a mere pressure tactic to get his due share in the party.

Later addressing a mammoth convention of women, Yeddyurappa accused his partymen of joining hands with JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda to oust him. “But I am not the one to be deter by such things. I will continue to fight for people’s welfare,” he said. When state’s farmers were in distress owing to drought, he put pressure on the CM to announce farm loan waiver scheme due to which around 15 lakh farmers benefitted, he said.

Bats for Renuka

Breaking his silence for the first time on the demand of portfolio allocation by former Chief Minister D V Sadanand Gowda camp, Yeddyurappa indirectly warned Shettar against giving additional portfolio to municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarakiholi.

“If Jarakiholi gets an additional portfolio, then the similar demand of excise minister MP Renukacharya should also be honoured. I will not allow any discrimination in the allocation of portfolios,” he thundered.