MAY 19, 2018
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa addresses members of the Karnataka Assembly before a floor test, at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru, on Saturday. Two days after taking oath as CM, he resigned. (PTI Photo)
BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa announced his resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister after a dramatic speech in the Legislative Assembly Saturday. Yeddyurappa did not move a trust vote that he was supposed to face, realising he does not have the numbers to prove his majority. Yeddyurappa was chief minister for two days. In 2007, he was chief minister for a week before he resigned ahead of a trust vote. Yeddyurappa’s speech went as follows:
“Our PM Modi and national president Amit Shah made me party president on April 14, 2016, and declared me as the chief minister. The PM never declared anyone as chief minister before the polls.
“Over the last two years, I travelled across the state and visited all the regions of the state. I will never forget the love people showed me when I travelled around the state for the Parivartana Yatra.
“People gave us 104 seats after seeing work of PM Modi and the poor work of the previous government.
“People rejected JD(S) and Congress and they know it. They both did not get the mandate and swore against each other and tainted democracy.
“After losing the election, the two parties have indulged in opportunistic politics. The Governor gave us right to take oath as single largest party.
“People in the state have suffered a lot because of lack or irrigation, drinking water and there have been hundreds of farmer suicides.
“Till my last breath I will work for farmers and the betterment of their lives. After years of Independence we cannot safeguard our farmers.
“The mandate was one against the prevailing situation and the election numbers indicate this.
“I never sat idle a single day and have toiled for the people everyday of my political life. I will continue to do so until my last breath.
“I was thinking about waiving the farm loans, allocation of 1.5 lakh crore for irrigation, to uplift the Scheduled Caste and Tribes. I stayed in the homes of Dalits and ate in their homes. I was shocked by the condition of these people. How do they eat, where do they take a bath I wondered.
“Modi has said he wants to link rivers. Modi gave projects to Karnataka even when Congress was in power.
“I had a desire to see Modi government at the Centre and Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka.
“Now I am seeing a test of fire. My life has been full of such tests. In 2008, if I had got 113 seats the entire situation in Karnataka would have been different.
“I have faith in democracy. I thought the opposition would think of the benefits of having one government at the Centre and in the state. I will work for 28 seats out of 28 in Karnataka, will deliver for Modi.
“Whenever elections come I will be ready. I am leaving now. After the session, I will travel in the state to get public opinion.
“I spoke to a lot of you and made promises. But the MLAs were all locked up and not allowed to contact MLAs.
“I will give my life for people.
“The twisted politics of Congress has prevented the mandate of the election from being exercised. I will not take the confidence motion forward. I will be going to the Governor to submit my resignation.”
Courtesy/Source: Indian Express
