Daijiworld Media Network – Davanagere (SP)

Davanagere, Nov 6: Honnali MLA, M P Renukacharya, who was considered a close confidante of Chief Minister (CM), B S Yeddyurappa, till the two parted ways some months back, accused rural development minister, Shobha Karandlaje and the secretary to the CM, V P Baligar, of trying to finish him off, politically. He also charged that Raghavendra, son of the CM, who is a member of parliament, has been trying to encourage a revolt among the party activists of Honnali against him.

Renukacharya said that he strongly supported the CM and worked like his right hand. “But, all this changed once he became the Chief Minister. The close relatives of Yeddyurappa had asked him not to entertain Shobha. Shobha felt I was a party to this demand. The CM, who was instigated by Shobha, heaped injustices on me,” he added.

Renukacharya claimed that he won not because of any godfather, but by working for the people and by being with them. “Everyone knows how Raghavendra won from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency by distributing money and liquor,” he commented. He also warned of undertaking a tour of Shimoga constituency to reveal to the people the ugly side of the father-son duo.

“I am a long-time party loyalist, and I have nothing to learn from newcomers to the party like Bacche Gowda, Haratal Halappa, Umesh katti etc., who joined the party with selfish interests recently. They are showing loyalty towards Yeddyurappa for their benefits, and will change loyalties as per the situation that suits them,” he complained. He said, the CM had thrown out party loyalists like minister Bellubbi and former MLA Shakuntala Shetty to serve selfish interests of some people within the party.

He clarified that most of the MLAs would not like to work under  the Chief Ministership of Yeddyurappa and said that the main demand of the dissidents is to remove him from this position.