Keeping his door open for possible alignments with the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who left the BJP recently after a 40-year association, said the saffron party is worse than the major opposition parties in the state. An emotional BSY told mediapersons in Bangalore on Thursday, “The BJP is a bigger evil than Congress and JD(S) in the state. My party (Karnataka Janata Party or KJP) will fight against the evil and defeat the BJP, Congress and JD(S) in all 224 assembly constituencies.”

Yeddyurappa, who was the BJP’s first CM in a southern state, dared state BJP president and deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa to have the state assembly dissolved and seek a fresh mandate from the people.

He also said there was no meaning in Eshwarappa’s repeated threats of disciplinary action against BJP legislators, ministers and MPs who would attend the official launch of the KJP in Haveri on December 9. Many state BJP leaders are expected to be present at the KJP launch. “Let Eshwarappa dissolve the state assembly so that elections can be held early and voters can get a chance to elect the party of their choice,” he said.

Replying to a question, BSY claimed that many minority leaders were joining the KJP because of welfare schemes launched by him when he was chief minister.