The former Chief Minister and BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa has categorically denied any possibility of midterm elections in Karnataka and said that his party will not allow it to happen. He was responding to a widely shared video that showed Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son, K. Nikhil, giving a call to Janata Dal (Secular) workers to get ready to face another election.
In this April 21, 2019 file photo, B. S. Yeddyurappa, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly and State President of BJP interacting with The Hindu in Shivamogga on Sunday.
While speaking to reporters at Hubballi Airport on Friday en route to Badami in Bagalkot district for a tour of drought-affected villages, Mr. Yeddyurappa categorically stated that there was no question of going for an election to seek a fresh mandate. “Mr. Kumaraswamy’s son may have issued a statement calling for his partymen to prepare to face an election again. But I will say there will not be any election for any reason and we will not allow it,” he said.
Speaking on the same issue at Mushtigeri village in Badami taluk, he said, “The man who has lost the Lok Sabha election from Mandya [Mr. Nikhil] has no moral right to talk on midterm polls.”
Mr. Yeddyurappa took a dig at the coalition partners in the State and said, “They [coalition partners] should run the government if they can and if they are unable to do so, let them leave it to us. We have 105 legislators and we will run the government. There is no question of going for an election again. There are four more years before we can seek a fresh mandate from people.” In the same breath, however, he added that none in the State believed that the coalition government would last long.
Considering the politically volatile situation in Karnataka, with the Congress still facing rebel trouble, Mr. Yeddyurappa’s statement gains significance.
‘Reflects MLAs’ views’
According to insiders in the BJP, Mr. Yeddyurappa’s statement reflects the overall view of the MLAs in the State. Most of the MLAs, who have just completed one year in office, are not prepared for another election.
“That was the reason when the former Minister and senior leader of JD(S) Basavaraj Horatti spoke about dissolving the Assembly and seeking a fresh mandate, almost everyone cutting across party lines pounced on him,” a party leader told The Hindu .
When Mr. Horatti made the remark, even senior Congress leaders such as R.V. Deshpande and JD(S) State president A.H. Vishwanath, who has subsequently resigned, took a dig at him and called him a leader who had not faced direct elections.
Just after the Lok Sabha election results in which the BJP did exceedingly well in Karnataka, Mr. Yeddyurappa had said it would be better if the governing Congress–JD(S) coalition got the Assembly dissolved and sought a fresh mandate.
He, however, retracted this statement soon, saying the BJP would wait for the government to collapse on its own.
