Bengaluru: The top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to take its Karnataka unit leaders into confidence after the party lost the assembly elections earlier this year, former Karnataka chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda said on Friday.
Gowda, a Lok Sabha MP from Bangalore North who announced his retirement from electoral politics on Wednesday, urged the central leadership not to harbour any resentment towards the state leaders and assured to cover up the losses suffered during the assembly polls in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
In the May assembly elections, the Congress won 136 of the state’s 224 assembly seats, the first time in a decade that a party crossed the halfway mark in the state. The BJP was outgunned, winning 65 seats and facing reverses in five of the six main regions of the state.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Gowda said: “I am upset with the central leaders for not taking the state BJP leaders into confidence after we lost the assembly elections.”
The former Union minister added: “It’s true that due to various reasons, we lost the elections, but it’s not right to be angry and not visit the state, or to delay the appointments of opposition leaders and the state party president. This has hurt the feelings of the party cadre and as their leader, there is more pain in me.”
{{/usCountry}}The former Union minister added: “It’s true that due to various reasons, we lost the elections, but it’s not right to be angry and not visit the state, or to delay the appointments of opposition leaders and the state party president. This has hurt the feelings of the party cadre and as their leader, there is more pain in me.”
{{/usCountry}}Hours later, the central leadership appointed former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra Yediyurappa as the state unit chief. The post was lying vacant since May after Nalin Kumar Kateel’s term ended, following an informal extension in August last year.
However, the leader of Opposition is yet to be chosen. In July, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai was appointed as interim leader of the party in the legislative assembly.
Gowda appealed to the central leadership to engage with the Karnataka BJP leaders. “Even today, I appeal to the central leaders to take Karnataka leaders into confidence. Whatever we have lost in the assembly elections, we will give you back with interest in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
There was no immediate reaction available from the top BJP leadership.
REAX FROM STATE LEADERSHIP
Talking about his retirement from electoral politics, Gowda said there was “no external pressure” to influence his decision. He had earlier denied any role of the party high command in his decision.
“I have decided not to continue in electoral politics. For 30 years, my party has given me everything. After B S Yediyurappa, I’m the number one beneficiary in the party,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
However, Yediyurappa on Thursday alleged Gowda was asked by the BJP leadership not to contest in the Lok Sabha polls this time, prompting him to quit electoral politics.
“Sadananda Gowda has got instructions from the central leadership (of BJP). He will actively participate in the party activities, but he has decided not to contest in elections. He (Gowda) has been told directly not to contest the polls this time….,” he said.