Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Feb 6: State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, on Tuesday February 5, said that he had told BJP leaders not to issue statements expressing doubt over chief minister HD Kumaraswamy presenting the 2019-20 budget.

The budget is scheduled on February 8.

"I have told my leaders not to make such statements. The date for Kumaraswamy to present the budget has been fixed," Yeddyurappa said speaking to reporters.

Recently Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda and former deputy chief minister R Ashoka had publicly doubted whether or not Kumaraswamy will present his budget. It gave way to speculation that BJP was trying to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition.

JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda had said that it was Yeddyurappa who wanted to topple the government and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had no such intention.

"Deve Gowda is a former Prime Minister. He should keep Congress-JD(S) legislators together. If he does this, then there is no question of us toppling the government. But without keeping his legislators together, I want to ask him if it is right to pin the blame on us," Yeddyurappa said.

The BJP held its legislature party meeting on Tuesday evening in which BJP national general secretary (organization) Ram Lal, who acts as a bridge between the RSS and the saffron party, participated.

The party is expected to draw up a strategy to counter the Congress-JD(S) coalition over governance and administrative issues during the budget session.