Bengaluru: Dismissing all speculations and rumours, the BJP high command has said that BS Yediyurappa will continue as the Chief Minister of Karnataka till he completes his term.
Confirming this, BJP General Secretary and Karnataka party in-charge Arun Singh warned senior leaders against asking for any change.
"I have said a number of times, he (Yediyurappa) is our CM, he will remain CM. Under his leadership (we are going) he is taking care of all sections of the society. He is one of the prominent leaders of the party here," Singh said while speaking to reporters in Yediyurappa’s hometown of Shivamogga.
"Any karyakarta or any leader, small or big, has to speak within the limits. If somebody has the problem one can come and discuss one-to-one because there is internal democracy in our party, but speaking publicly is not right."
Singh was indirectly referring to senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from Vijayapura who had claimed on numerous occasions that Yediyurappa will not remain Chief Minister for long and that the high command has decided that his successor will be from the north Karnataka region.
For the past few weeks, there was intense speculation that Yediyurappa would be asked to step down in view of his age. He is 77, well beyond the BJP rule that prohibits anyone above 75 from occupying a chair of power.
Meanwhile, the BJP General Secretary also ruled out the possibility of the party forming an alliance with the JD(S).
Immediately former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of systematically fanning rumours of JD(S) joining NDA. In a series of tweets, the JD(S) legislature party chief accused the BJP of attempting to erode the party’s base by planting such rumours. He said the party "does not need BJP's friendship”.
