BASAVAKALYAN : Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that his decision to withdraw from electoral politics was his own and not under any pressure. Addressing a gathering, which was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at Basavakalyan, Yediyurappa accused the Congress leaders of “spreading such rumours” to mislead the Veerashaiva Lingayat community.
The former CM said that he has decided to extensively tour the state to bring the BJP back to power. “BJP will win more than 140 seats. Congress is day-dreaming of coming to power,” he added.
He also said that the four Vijaya Sankalpa Yatras will converge in Davanagere on March 25. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to take part in the programme,” he said.
In his speech, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that telling lies is the mane devaru (family deity) of former CM Siddaramaiah. “When BS Yediyurappa was the CM, the government gave 10kg free rice to BPL families. It was Siddaramaiah who reduced the quantity of rice to 5kg.
Siddaramaiah is now blaming the BJP,” he said, adding that the then Siddaramaiah government gave durbhagyas (bad luck) to people rather than bhagyas. Bommai lauded his predecessor Yeddyurappa saying that it was the latter who initiated the construction of Anubhava Mantapa at Basavakalyan.