Bringing BJP back to power in Karnataka top priority, says Yeddyurappa

New Delhi: After being appointed president of the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), veteran leader B.S. Yeddyurappa on Friday said bringing his party back to power in the state would be his top priority.

“My single-point agenda henceforth is to bring the BJP into power in our state in the next elections. Without resting for a day, I will go on touring in the state,” he told ANI.

We are facing so many problems such as severe drought, corruption charges against the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah), cabinet ministers and others. The people of the state are fed up with this government,’ said Yeddyurappa, who became the first BJP chief minister of a South Indian state after the 2008 assembly elections.

“We will go around in the state, where we have very good organisational strength, and when the elections come, we are going to get a full majority and will form a government,” he added.

“I have been given this responsibility, which I full fulfil by taking everybody, including leaders and workers, in confidence,” said Yeddyurappa, who had formed a separate party the Karnataka Janata Paksha, after he was forced to step down as chief minister following charges of corruption and nepotism, paving way for Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda to become the next chief minister of the state.

Expressing his gratitude to BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing confidence into him, he said, “I would congratulate our national president and also the Prime Minister, who have given me the responsibility to become the BJP president of the Karnataka unit. Their confidence in my ability means great strength to me.”

When asked to respond to charges of his political career being mired by corruption, Yeddyurappa said, “I have full confidence in the judiciary that I will get justice.”