OUST BJP GOVT IN KARNATAKA, CM REJIG OF NO USE: CONGRESS

The Congress in Karnataka on Monday demanded the ouster of the BJP government in Karnataka instead of the party finding a replacement for Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who resigned on Monday.

Alleging that the BJP government in Karnataka was “illegitimate as it was born out of defections and corruption”, the main Opposition party wondered whether changing the face would also change the government’s “diabolical character”. “There is no benefit for the common man if one corrupt CM is removed to make way for another corrupt CM. Instead the whole BJP party, which is responsible for the miseries of people, should be ousted,” former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, tweeted.

Reacting to Yediyurappa’s resignation, the Congress stalwart said: “The power politics in BJP is unfortunate when people are suffering due to natural calamities. Crops have been destroyed in many districts due to floods and nine people have lost their lives. It is unfortunate that the representatives of the government are busy in power politics instead of helping the people in distress.”

The Congress national general secretary and party’s Karnataka in

charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the malady is with BJP’s corrupt government and appalling maladministration in Karnataka, for it is an illegitimate government born out of “defections and corruption”.

“Will merely changing the face change the diabolical character of the BJP government synonymous with mal-governance & decay?” Surjewala said in his tweet. “The ignominy, torment and insult being heaped upon Sh. BS Yediyurappa by Modiji, dictating him to tender his resignation, makes him PM’s latest victim and member of the ‘forced retirement club’,” Surjewala tweeted.

In his reaction to Yediyurappa’s resignation, the Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar said the Chief Minister should explain why he turned emotional and choked when he announced his resignation. “It is not Yediyurappa who was crying but the state and its chief minister were in tears. We opposition parties are different but he represents the government. That’s why Yediyurappa should explain whether he was crying, the state was crying or the party was crying,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

While announcing his resignation, an emotional Yediyurappa pointed out that a few MLAs from his party were not happy with him, sending out a signal that he was upset with their statements. Most vocal among the BJP legislators was Vijayapura MLA

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who had predicted the exit of Yediyurappa, alleging that he and his family members were involved in corruption. Targeting Yediyurappa, his MP-son BY Raghavendra and BJP state vice president BY Vijayendra, Yatnal had even asked the BJP central leadership to end the “dynastic politics” in Karnataka BJP. MLC A H Vishwanath had also repeatedly demanded Yediyurappa’s resignation.