BENGALURU: JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Friday said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was "perturbed" about the winnability of disqualified MLAs, whom BJP has fielded as party candidates for the December 5 bypolls and hence he was issuing statements about making them ministers, with an intention to lure voters.
Yediyurappa has spoken about making all of them ministers, what is the sanctity (for election), Gowda told reporters at Hassan.
He claimed that soon after the apex court paved way for the disqualified MLAs to contest bypolls, Yediyurappa had said they will be made ministers.
"It shows he was perturbed whether they were going to win. If you say they will be made ministers, people of the constituency will vote thinking that their MLA will become minister. It is in a way luring just to keep the voters on their side," he said.
Welcoming disqualified Congress-JD(S) legislators who joined the BJP, Yediyurappa on Thursday had addressed them as "future MLAs and ministers".
The BJP has fielded 13 disqualified legislators as its candidates for the December 5 assembly byelections, hours after the rebels joined the ruling party in the state.
Stating that JD(S) is contesting in all the seats in the bypolls, Gowda said "Whether we will win or lose I don't know, its in the hands of the people. I can't say what they will decide."
He said he will be campaigning in all the 15 constituencies. JD(S) on Thursday had announced candidates for 10 out of 15 assembly constituencies that will go to the bypolls.
The party has decided to support BJP rebel Sharath Bachegowda, who is contesting as an independent candidate in Hoskote constituency.
Bypolls are being held to 15 of the 17 constituencies represented by disqualified MLAs.
By-elections to the Maski and R R Nagar constituencies have been withheld as litigations related to them are pending before the Karnataka High Court.
Of the 15 seats, 12 were represented by the Congress and three by the JD(S).