KALABURAGI/ BENGALURU: BJP state unit president BS Yeddyurappa waded into a controversy by stating that any person from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community who votes for the Congress, will be committing a crime as the party had unceremoniously removed Veerendra Patil from the chief minister’s post.
Electioneering entered the final round for the Kundgol and Chincholi assembly seats, with voting slated for Sunday. Addressing a rally in Chincholi, Yeddyurappa asked people from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community not to vote for the Congress. “Veerendra Patil was hale and healthy, but then Congress president Rajiv Gandhi sacked him as CM though he enjoyed the support of 175 MLAs,” Yeddyurappa said.
The Congress accused the former CM of violating the People’s Representation Act by using caste and community to influence voters during elections. The party on Wednesday filed a complaint with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, demanding action against the BJP leader.
BSY trains guns on CM
In Konchavaram village in Chincholi, Yeddyurappa cast doubts on the chief minister. “H D Kumaraswamy is not interested in the development of the state. He is concerned only in making his son victorious in the Mandya elections,” he said.
Yeddyurappa said that a tussle had already commenced between Congress and JD (S) and after the announcement of Lok Sabha poll results, the coalition government would collapse.Ridiculing Kumaraswamy’s statement that Mallikarjun Kharge could have become chief minister, Yeddyurappa said, “Let him step down from the and make Kharge the CM. We have no objection.”
Cong leaders target BSY
Kalaburagi: Veerashaiva and Lingayat community leaders in the Congress came together to condemn BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday for his statement that members of these communities who vote for the Congress are committing an offence. Home Minister M B Patil, KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre and former minister Sharanprakash Patil targeted Yeddyurappa for his comment that Congress had sacked Veerendra Patil from the chief minister’s post. Addressing a Veerashaiva-Lingayat convention organised by Congress in Chincholi on Wednesday, Patil said BJP had always opposed Basaveshwara’s philosophy. “Go and see if BJP has celebrated Basava Jayanti in its office,” Patil said. He clarified that the Congress had not insulted Veerendra Patil, but asked him to step down due to some lapses.