Act against my men at your own peril, BSY tells BJP

Mangalore Today/ DHNS

Chitradurga/Bangalore, Dec 4: Days after walking out on a crisis-laden BJP to launch his own political outfit, former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday warned the BJP’s central leadership that any action against his loyalists will entail fall of the State government in 24 hours.

Speaking at a convention organised by BJP MLA Chandrappa at Holalkere near Chitradurga on Tuesday, Yeddyurappa said: “The government shall stay in power for another three months. But, if action is taken against my loyalists, it will be suicidal for the BJP.”

 

“If they have the guts, let them take action. Then, the Legislature Session will also not take place. I have the support of 50 to 60 MLAs. Let them act against ministers and legislators participating in today’s programme, if they can,” he said. Yeddyurappa’s assertions come on the eve of the Winter Session of the Legislature in Belgaum.

At present, five MLAs (B P Harish, Nehru Olekar, D S Suresh, H Halappa and S I Chikkanagoudar), four MLCs (Bharathi Shetty, Shivaraj Sajjan, Mumtaz Ali Khan, M D Lakshminarayan) and three MPs (B Y Raghavendra, G S Basavaraj,G M Siddesh) have openly pledged support to Yeddyurappa. The 12 elected representatives shared the dais with Yeddyurappa at a public function in Bangalore, before the former chief minister submitted his resignation to Speaker K G Bopaiah last week.

Sources said the BJP is unlikely to issue show cause notices to the rebels since it does not want to upset the apple cart, at least till December 9. They, however, added that it will be a different ball game if any BJP member attends the Haveri convention on December 9, where Yeddyurappa is scheduled to formally launch the Karnataka Janata Party.

Speaking in Haveri, BJP State President K S Eshwarappa said the party will initiate strict action against those who attend December 9 KJP rally. “We will not mind losing the government. But, indiscipline will not be tolerated,” he said.

FDI support

Yeddyurappa told reporters at Arsikere in Hassan district that he had instructed the MPs supporting him to back the UPA government when the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail is put to vote in Parliament on Wednesday. He said BJP legislators supporting him will join the KJP after the Belgaum session of the Legislature. The number of legislators will be known after the session, he said.

Late in the evening, Yeddyurappa, at his Dollars’ Colony residence in Bangalore, met around 30 of his loyalists, most of them BJP workers, who, at present, enjoy various positions in boards and corporations. It is learnt that Yeddyurappa invited them to participate in his Haveri convention. The move is seen as a direct challenge by Yeddyurappa to the BJP to take action against his loyalists.