BSY to BJP MLAs: Focus on Covid, refrain from political remarks

With his remarks about staying on as the Karnataka Chief Minister being dependent on the BJP high command creating confusion in the BJP ranks, B S Yediyurappa on Monday issued a call to BJP legislators to prioritise efforts against the pandemic and refrain from carrying out signature campaigns or issuing political statements to express their support for him.

“When people are facing problems due to the Covid-19 crisis, all BJP legislators must give priority to address the Covid-19 situation in their constituencies. Nobody should be involved in signature campaigns or make political statements. They should reach out to the people affected by Covid. This is my request,” Yediyurappa said on social media.

Amid rumors of a possible change in leadership in the state being sought by some of his political rivals, the Karnataka CM had on Sunday stated that he would remain the Chief Minister as long as he enjoyed the confidence of the BJP central leadership.

Yediyurappa’s remarks had led to his loyalists saying that the CM had the support of 65 of the total 117 MLAs, while a few MLAs considered to be in the opposite camp pointed to a signature campaign “culture” in the BJP.

BJP veteran and Karnataka minister K S Eshwarappa said the party does not have a culture of carrying out signature campaigns and that the central leadership would decide on any issue.