Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Former minister M P Renukacharya said on Saturday that the BJP uses the mass leader image of party veteran B S Yediyurappa only during the time of elections and dumps him later.
He was speaking to reporters here. In a veiled dig at BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, Renukacharya said some leaders come to the state only during elections with some strategies and ruin the entire campaign.
“The party has not taken any action on those who spoke against Yediyurappa prior to the elections and after that. I was given a notice just for defending the honour of the party’s only mass leader in the state. He is called to lead the party when no one is able to gather a decent number of people for an event,” he said.
Renukacharya affirmed that he was still with the BJP and was a strong aspirant for the party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Davangere seat.
He said the state BJP hadn’t learnt a lesson from two humiliating defeats in the 2013 and 2023 Assembly polls by sidelining Yediyurappa.
“People have rejected BJP completely in both of these elections. But the party is hell-bent on stifling voices of those who support him,” the former minister said.
Renukacharya said he was not a saint to be without power and that he would strive to get the ticket from the Davangere constituency. He would consider other options only if he is failed to get a ticket.