Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa’s visit to Belgaum eclipsed the proceedings of the third day of the legislature session being held here at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.
Yeddyurappa’s visit on Thursday evening — planned by his supporters — only appeared to aim at creating further confusion in the ruling BJP and also to make use of the presence of a large media contingent to get publicity ahead of his KJP rally at Haveri on Sunday. Yeddyurappa seemed to have succeeded in both as most of the BJP legislators were seen discussing about Yeddyurappa and his new party; and the media were chasing him wherever he went.
However, he claimed that his visit was not to exhibit his strength, but to greet MLAs who had come to the session. “I am here on the invitation of MLAs,” he announced.
Upon arriving, Yeddyurappa held a meeting with his loyalist ministers and MLAs at a private hotel — 17 MLAs, seven ministers and seven MLCs attended the meeting. The Lingayat strongman then rushed to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and interacted with both the opposition and ruling party members. Yeddyurappa told reporters that he would bounce back as the chief minister. “Wait for four months, I will come back to Suvarna Soudha as chief minister,” he said. Making use of the on-going Cauvery crisis to promote his party, Yeddyurappa said, “Had there been a regional party in power, the Centre would not have dared to dictate Karnataka on the Cauvery issue.”
“I have suggested to the chief minister to adjourn the session for two days and take all the 224 MLAs to meet the prime minister. This will have an impact.”