Yeddy's KJP Launched - Cine Stars, Leaders Join Amidst Gigantic Crowd
Daijiworld Media Network
Haveri, Dec 9: All roads led to Haveri on Sunday December 9 as a sea of people from across the state gathered here to witness a politically historic moment, as former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa officially launched the Karnataka Janatha Party (KJP).
Actors and leaders from all across the political spectrum flocked the venue to join the new party, amidst lacs of people, many of them who had come from faraway places and camped overnight.
Some of the cine-stars included Pooja Gandhi who quit JD(S) to join KJP, Dodanna, Shruthi and Malashree.
A number of BJP MLAs and MPs were also present, throwing caution into the wind and defying BJP's warning not to attend the rally.
Yeddyurappa officially accepted the KJP flag and took over as the president of the party on the occasion.
KJP state leader Dhanajay Kumar in his welcome address listed out some of the prominent names that had gathered to join the party, and said that despite BJP's warning, so many from the party had show their courage and rejected BJP to join hands with Yeddyurappa.
Sakleshpur town council president and taluk panchayat president along with all the members, Bidar BJP district president, Chikmagalur JD(S) district president, 13 BJP MLAs and 5 MPs and people from major communities and religions joined the party on the occasion.
Among those who joined were Michael Fernandes, brother of former union minister George Fernandes, Byndoor MLA Laxminarayana, Halappa, Puttaswamy, Bharati Shetty, senior MLA B R Patil from Congress, former MLA Vishwanath, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president Praveen Shetty, former Congress leader Umesh, Rajshekar Patil, Shivaraj Gowda, Shivanna, Shivaraj Sajjan, Holekkere MLA Nehru Olekar, Chandrappa, Terikere Suresh, C C Patil, B P Harish, Chandrakanth Bellad, Suresh Gowda Patil, MLA Mohan Limbikai, Ayub Pasha, Mushtaq Khan, Kalimulla Khan, Mallesh from Chamarjnagar who left Congress, Ahinda state leader Appanna, G S Manjunath from Chitradurga, and many others joined the party on the occasion.
Dhananjay Kumar said that KJP will undoubtedly bring a sweeping change in Karnataka politics under the leadership of Yeddyurappa.
BJP stabbed me in the back, open challenge to Shettar - Yeddyurappa
An emotional Yeddyurappa addressed the gathering and said, "I am speechless to see such massive support to my party. This is the most memorable day in my life. I welcome and thank each and everyone of you who has come to watch and listen to me today."
Recalling his days with BJP he said, "For 40 years I toiled to build the party and worked for the welfare of the people of this state. For farmers, for harijans, for each and every community I worked day and night. I was made CM not by any party but by the people of this state. But the party (BJP) used me and deceived me."
"When I stepped down as CM, I was promised state BJP president's post, and also restoration of CM's post once the case against me was dismissed. But the party deceived me and stabbed in the back. This is the land of Punyakoti and such liars do not have any place here," he said, adding that some people could not digest his popularity with people.
Listing out his achievements and welfare programmes undertaken during his tenure, he urged the party workers and the crowd to work for the development of the state. He said he would visit each and every district in the coming days and meet people personally. He said Dr Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan were his ideals and thats why the three personalities were depicted on the KJP banner.
He further added that it was his dream to build a strong regional party in the state, so that issues like Cauvery water dispute could be effectively tackled.
He openly challenged CM Jagadish Shettar who threatened to take action against BJP MLAs supporting KJP and said, "You (Shettar) became CM with the support of these very MLAs. If you have guts dissolve the assembly and go for elections. Today the person who came to power with my help has joined hands with the BJP high command against me. We do not want Shettar government in this state."
"I just got information that action will be taken against the 14 to 18 legislators on the dais. In that case, I tell Shettar that you do not have majority and hence quit immediately," Yeddyurappa thundered to the applause of the huge crowd.
Pooja Gandhi who was welcomed by the crowd with a loud cheer said that for 40 years Yeddyurappa had a built a party and brought it to power in South India for the first time, and ruled for three years. "Now, to keep up his self-respect and dignity, he is forming a new party. Hence all his supporters too are people of self-respect and dignity," she said.
"During his tenure as chief minister, he gave more importance to development of north Karnataka than Bangalore. Building Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum, introducing schemes like Bhagyalaxmi, distribution of bicycles, widow pension and others hundreds of welfare programmes were introduced by him, but today other politicians are taking the credit," she added.
"The reason I joined BJP is that I want to see women in this state progress. There should be educational empowerment among women which will in turn bring them employment and lead to their financial empowerment. I was born in UP but today Karnataka is my home. You have give me so much love and respect, I expect the same support to KJP too," she said.
She concluded her brief address declaring, "Yeddyurappa is not just a 'vyakti' (individual) but a 'shakti' (strength)."
B R Patil addressing the gathering said that if the injustice done by BJP to Yeddyurappa was an earthquake, the launch of KJP today is a Tsunami that will bring massive change in politics and wash away other parties. "People have placed a lot of trust in Yeddyurappa. The entire nation is watching this political change - change is inevitable in all spheres, be it social, educational or economic," he said.
"The Janatha Party that was started by J P Narayan was destroyed by Deve Gowda. But now under the leadership of Yeddyurappa, it will be resurrected," he said.
The website http://kjpkarnataka.org/ was launched on the occasion by Yeddyurappa on the occasion.
Yeddyurappa was felicitated by Lambani women as well as by the Muslim community and many others.
PTI Adds:
In another sign of potential trouble for the five-month-old Shettar government, at a breakfast hosted by MLC Shivaraj Sajjan here, at least 21 MLAs, seven MLCs and four Lok Sabha members met Yeddyurappa.
Seven ministers, including Basavaraja Bommai, C M Udasi, Murugesh Nirani and Shobha Karandlaje, were among those present at this meeting. But they, except Valyapure, skipped the rally, apparently to avoid the wrath of the party.
Sending a warning to Yeddyurappa's loyalists, Shettar had yesterday sacked his trusted lieutenant B J Puttaswamy from the ministry while the party had suspended Tumkur MP G S Basavaraju.
But the number at the breakfast meeting has disappointed Yeddyurappa, who expected more than 40 MLAs to turn up, according to sources in the Karnataka Janata Party, reins of which he took over today at the rally becoming its President.
In the 224-member assembly, BJP has a strength of 118, Congress 71, JDS 26, Independents seven and two vacancies.
Yeddyurappa slammed the BJP for the action against Puttaswamy and Basavaraju, flaying it as "selective", as the crisis in BJP appears headed for a flash-point.
He said it's "very well-known" about Ministers, MLAs and MPs who are supporting him. "I am wondering why the BJP leadership is delaying and hesitating to take action against them. Instead of dilly-dallying and taking selective action, I dare the BJP leadership to dissolve the Assembly and go before the people".
"It's known truth that the Government is continuing in office with the support of my followers...",he told reporters, adding, he would like to remind the BJP leadership that it was because of his leadership that the party could form its first-ever government in the south.
"People of Karnataka will not tolerate the treatment meted out to me by the BJP leadership and selective action taken against my supporters," Yeddyurappa said.
Today's developments triggered calls for resignation of the BJP government by the opposition Congress on the ground that it has been reduced to a minority.
KPCC President G Parameshwara and Opposition Congress leader in the state assembly Siddarmaiah said the BJP government would soon collapse.